Carnival
by GinTsuki
Summary: Spock never liked taking his shore leave, and Jim and Bones aren't letting him talk his way out of it this time. It's a good thing too, he's probably the only one capable of getting them back to the ship - alive. COMPLETED!
1. Prologue

**Carnival**

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_Prologue_

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Noise and laughter rolled out into the corridor on deck three, making the uninformed and/or curious poke their heads into recreation room four. The excitement was palpable as crewmen and ensigns crowded around the large screen against the port side wall. The monitor was currently displaying long lists of names in various columns, and from time to time a name would blink out of one group to re-appear in another. Ensign Chekov emerged from the crowd beaming like a man who'd won the lottery. Lieutenant Sulu was at his shoulder shaking his head with disbelief.

"I don't understand how you manage to slip into her party _every time_." His voice was laced with a mixture of awe and jealousy as he followed his friend to some free space. The helmsman nudged the navigator in the side playfully as he teased, causing Chekov to rub his ribs and give Sulu a look of pure innocence that may or may not have been feigned. "Just who are you bribing and where can I find them?"

"Bribery Hikaru…? Eet's my Russian luck." Chekov's grin was contagious and soon Sulu was flashing teeth as well. The pair made to leave, but unfortunately Sulu was so caught up in their banter that he didn't watch where he was going. The door to the recreation room opened just as Commander Spock and the Lieutenant simultaneously tried to cross the threshold.

The sound of air being forced out of human lungs made the surrounding conversations cease. Sulu landed heavily on his back after being the source of such an uncommon noise. For a moment the Lieutenant thought he had hit a brick wall, until he looked up at Spock with a dazed look. Sulu grinned sheepishly up at his senior officer and mumbled, "Sorry about that Commander."

Spock appraised the helmsman with what Sulu assumed to be interest; after all, Vulcans were so difficult to read by facial expressions alone.

"Did you sustain any injuries Lieutenant?" Spock kneeled to help Sulu back on his feet. With one graceful movement, Spock gripped him by his upper arm and hauled the man effortlessly off the floor. Sulu was dusting himself off and looking a little embarrassed as some of the female Ensigns giggled. Chekov was trying to hide his amusement by lurking behind some of the uniformed ladies.

"No, I'm all right. Takes more then that to keep me down…" But the Asian's attempt to save face went unnoticed by Spock.

"I hope that in the future you pilot the Enterprise with more dexterity then you've demonstrated presently."

A direct insult, from _Spock_? This comment made both Chekov and Sulu look to one another with less amused faces. Some onlookers laughed then continued with their own conversations, but Chekov and Sulu knew Spock better. Usually Spock wasn't so purposefully curt with his comments - the only exception being Dr. McCoy. Something was irritating him – if that was even possible. However, the mystery remained as such because they were interrupted before they could attempt to pry.

As if on cue, the Captain walked into the room ramming right into Spock's back. "Whoa! Out of the doorway…" The man sidestepped his second in command while he rubbed his nose subtly. The sudden arrival of The Boss made everyone disperse. Chekov and Sulu went out the doorway with a flood of other people, and Spock went to leave with them - despite having just entered. Captain Kirk caught the Vulcan trying to make his get away and maneuvered so that he was next to him with his hand on his shoulder. It was a formal version of '_gotcha_' that Spock could not ignore.

Kirk could have sworn that the shoulder he had targeted slumped just a fraction as his hand made contact. "Spock, I've been looking for you all morning."

The Vulcan turned around to face his captain, his face a passive mask. Just as he opened his mouth to reply, Kirk blurted, "I'm ordering you to take your Shore Leave."

Spock closed his eyes and angled his face towards the floor. His faith in what he knew of human behavior had been obliterated. He was depending on the human stand by of '_out of sight, out of mind_' to earn him some leisure time aboard the Enterprise, hence his evasion of the Captain. Shore Leave was something that was entirely unnecessary for a Vulcan, and every time they set down for vacation Spock had to slowly explain this concept to Jim again and again. The man never understood – or more correctly - wanted to. This time would be the twenty-sixth attempt.

"I understand and respect your order Captain; however, it is illogical for a Vulcan to 'rest' in an environment that is anything but restful. It would benefit both my cognitive and physical functioning if I am allowed to remain on the Enterprise to work in the laboratory. There are several sections of the biology database that are in dire need of maintenance, as well as some specimens that-"

"No Spock. You cannot bury yourself in work while the rest of us play. Bones said you'd try and pull this stunt, and I didn't believe him until you didn't report to sick bay when I paged you half an hour ago. I'm not allowing this. Do you want me written up? Do you know how bad this looks, letting everyone _but_ the stubborn Vulcan go on Shore Leave? They might think I'm harassing you back at Starfleet... and you don't want them to think that about me do you?" His hazel eyes held the smile he was struggling to repress; this was amusing Jim in some way, and it irked Spock. The Vulcan said nothing in response. He knew that this was Jim's amateur attempt at manipulating him using some form of reverse psychology.

Kirk knew he failed when his first mate went into silent mode. He tried persuasion next. "You need to get your mind off science and onto something… well… mindless for once Spock. You'll like it, I promise." He patted his friend on the arm.

The Vulcan set his hands behind his back and looked down at his captain with dark eyes that bordered on pleading. Spock that knew arguing with Jim - the poster child of human irrationality - wasn't going to get him anywhere, but he needed to try for procedure's sake. "If you recall Captain, I have been 'mindless' at one point in my career and it was not a pleasant event I wish to experience for a second time."

Kirk massaged his temples with his fingertips and sighed. It was a show of weakness that made Spock straighten slightly - perhaps the game was not yet over. The Captain stared straight into Spock's brown eyes and tried to be assertive now that he was at the bottom of his bag of tricks. "That's not what I meant Spock and you know it. You're going to beam down with me and have fun, even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming." Spock made to retort, but the sudden appearance of Kirk's finger hovering at his nose made him think twice. "And don't tell me that that's a contradiction… or a hypocritical statement… or… _whatever_! Pacifica's Carnival is the number one rated Theme Park in the Alpha Quadrant and I'm not going to be my First Officer miss the opportunity of a lifetime!"

Defeated, Spock gave a very small sigh and took Kirk's bait. "And what opportunity is _that_, Captain?"

"Contortionists Spock. They have _contortionists_…" The way Kirk said it the word made Spock want to roll his eyes. A passing Scotty raised a hand as if in a toast to his Captain, "Aye aye Captain! I'll drink ta that! _I'll drink ta that!_"

If Spock were any more human, the urge to refrain from expressing his extreme displeasure would have been too much.

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**Author's Notes**:

I'm testing the waters with this story as well as trying to eliminate my writers block. It's sort of humorous at the moment, but its going to get darker the further I go. I'm trying to keep it canon... but then again Star Trek canon has been on debate for many decades, and I'm definitely going to be taking advantage of that. So expect some 'subtle' Spock and Kirk moments... maybe I'll toss some McCoy ones in for any of that fandom (I'm not myself, but I do try to please whenever possible. Also, if you ARE Bones/Spock, I suggest listening to the song "LuvSik" by Mozella. Damn I wish I had a method of creating music videos).

Please read and review. I can't improve otherwise!


	2. Chapter One: Fire & Moths

**Carnival**

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_Chapter One_

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Fire and Moths

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The landing party was of no surprise to Spock. The Vulcan wondered if the Captain purposely threw him and Dr. McCoy together to complete a never ending triangle that was both a blessing and a headache. The doctor's constant cynicism was matched only by the radiating waves of irritation that stemmed from Spock's form; yet the combined negativity was no match for the sunbeams that seemed to be produced by Kirk whenever he spoke of the wondrous things in store for them . His optimism was the only thing keeping both their mouths shut. His happiness was one of the only things keeping them there.

What peaked Spock's curiosity was that it was just the three of them beaming down. There would be no subordinates to order around like wayward sheep, and for that Spock was thankful, but suspicious. Then again, Jim could be a handful all on his own, so he shouldn't predict that this outing was going to go as smoothly as planned.

Just as the thought crossed the Vulcan's mind, his captain slapped him on the back and sported a huge grin. "Don't look like your going to a funeral Spock! Just think of it as a study on human behavior." He stepped onto the transporter with a bit of a bounce in his step.

The Science Officer had to suppress a sigh. There were so many holes he could punch in Kirk's supplied perspective; such as humans were best observed in their natural habitat, or that the sample size for the experiment was far too small to produce external validity; but, the man kept his silence so that what ever he was about to experience would be over that much sooner.

McCoy stifled a chuckle at Spock's tense poise. He was taking solace in knowing that this trip was going to be worth it just to see Spock suffer. It was a learning experience - Vulcan Torture 101. Next time the green blooded hobgoblin refused a physical he was going to threaten him with a social event.

They all stepped onto the transporter and took up their respective places before the Captain gave the word to energize. Once the hum of electricity began, their molecules began to dissemble. In seconds they reformed on Pacifica – or more specifically _under_.

It was a glittering gem among stars. The M-class planet was entirely enveloped by water, making it a marine biologist's dream. Tourist beaches were featured on the majority of travel brochures plastered half way around the galaxy, and pictures of Pacifica itself were prized within the Federation advertising campaigns. Not only was it known for being estetically pleasing, there were plenty of water-tight science outposts clinging to the sea bed for Federation use, as well as a few floating stations for surface exploration. However, the place they were beaming to was neither.

If Spock wasn't mistaken, they were in a huge bubble of transparent aluminum several miles beneath the sea. This was judged by the pitch blackness of the world above them and the occasional twinkle of phosphorescence. Gravity was strange, for the entire establishment was only built upon a surface area of approximately one-point-two-five miles arranged in a solid sphere. Due to the angle they arrived at, they should be slipping off of these co-ordinates and crashing into the bottom of the hollow globe; not to mention that the orb they were perched on should be doing the same. How was it centered without any support?

His Vulcan ears picked up an oscillating hum that reverberated through the soles of his feet. Perhaps it was from some large machination that was supplying some sort of gravitational pull? That would be possible if they utilized the natural physical energies being exerted on them by the extreme pressure created by millions of gallons of water weighing down them. He stared at the ground with interest while the rest of the party was oo-ing and aww-ing at everything else.

The flickering lights of the surrounding amusement park were like candles in the dark. Like moths, both Kirk and McCoy had taken several involuntary steps towards the bells and whistles of a thousand different ways to amuse themselves. Childish glee was plastered all over Jim's face while McCoy merely looked stunned. Spock felt like an outcast, but repressed it easily. Self-control was nothing to be ashamed about.

Rides of various thrill levels were strewn amongst vendors, while colorful carnies attempted to draw the rich to their games. Wafts of different foods that would please a hundred different alien diets mingled with the sounds of laughter, screaming, and idle chatter. Spock pressed his hands over his ears with a slow and graceful motion in order to not draw attention to himself. Wincing only slightly, he walked over to his comrades. "This place is full of noise."

"I know! Isn't it wonderful?" Jim replied at a near shout to be heard above the foreign music. He did not comprehend Spock's annoyance - or he chose not to. Either choice, Spock's level of discomfort rose another interval on his '_I need to anywhere but here_' scale.

Captain Kirk started towards a large tent in the distance. He seemed to know where he was going so Bones followed closely. He was muttering something unintelligible that was statistically likely to be a complaint according to Spock's calculations. He picked up the words 'Harpy' and 'Old' through the piercing show tunes and buzz of chatter.

A large crowd pressed in on them the entire way to the Grand Tent. Never had more strangers been collected in one place. There were thousands of beings from all over the galaxy enjoying themselves in the various festivities – not one of them had pointed ears though. It was to be expected. Spock was picking caramel popcorn from his uniform and trying to look like maybe there was a small fraction of himself that wanted to be there, but he was finding the feat difficult at best.

Jim's hand appeared at his elbow, guiding him through the throng. That wasn't _too_ discomforting, and the Vulcan had to admit, it was amusing watching McCoy occasionally tell some young person to watch where they were going and shove some unsuspecting tourist out of his way. Apparently he had no patience for swarms of bodies attempting to crush him either; one of the very few things Spock and the Doctor had in common. Spock made a note to never bring it up in conversation; the more they had in common, the less foder he had in future arguments.

The tent they approached was gigantic and nearly reached the top of the glass dome. It easily dominated the park with size and vivaciousness. The colors alone held the potential to cause a seizure, but there were holographic projections that changed rapidly to supply tourists with as much pointless information as possible. Dr. McCoy had his eyes shut tight during this leg of the journey while complaining that he was far two old to be exposed to such things.

When they entered the tent, the first thing that greeted them was the silence.

As soon as the tent flap closed it was as if the entire world was shut out and Spock could hear himself think again. It was a moment of short lived bliss. The second thing that greeted him was the absence of light. They were blind and fumbling in the dark. Spock instinctively grabbed a hold of both the Captain and the doctor so that they wouldn't wander off in the confusion. He could hear the rustle of their collars as they turned to look back at him in surprise.

Just then a spot-light came on with a snap, and quickly centered on a figure in the middle an arena. From the physique, Spock estimated the humanoid to be female, and from the entrance, rather dramatic. He was correct when she took off her black bowler hat and revealed a very painted face with large onyx eyes. Definitely not Terran, though possibly Betazoid.

"Greetings and salutations gents! I would say that the show is about to start… but here in Pacifica the show never ends to begin again!" The way she smirked unsettled Spock, as did her greeting. Her words were cheerful enough, but something in them dripped like poison from a blade. He couldn't place why he immediately thought of such a metaphor. It defied all logic, and made him second guess himself for he wondered if this was what Jim called a 'gut feeling'. If it was, he didn't like it.

The woman spelt villain and Spock read it loud and clear despite having no facts to draw from. It was both fascinating and disconcerting. The captain however, was viewing her through a silk-screen.

"Madame Zira, pleasure to meet you in person." Jim meant it sincerely in spite of the glaring lights and over-abundance of stage make-up. "This is my Science Officer, Commander Spock, and this is Doctor McCoy." He gestured politely to his friends in turn before approaching the woman with his hand outstretched in greeting. Spock noticed Jim didn't introduce himself, and wondered just how well he knew this woman. Would this handshake be their first physical contact?

She tucked her hat neatly under her arm and met the Captain's hand. After that ritual was completed she immediately turned to Spock with a look of curiosity. "Are you Vulcan per chance?"

One dark eyebrow tilted towards Spock's hairline. "Affirmative."

Zira's smile became wider; but contradicting the gesture, her eyes narrowed fractionally. Spock found her body language was difficult to read; even the Doctor picked up on it as he glanced from Spock to the woman with minute confusion.

"Charmed." She curtsied, "We don't get many of your type here." Her voice lowered in pitch to a near purr, making Spock's other eyebrow meet its mate. "Our pleasures tend to make you and your kind uncomfortable. You must be _very_ loyal to follow your Captain here."

"I go where I am ordered to go." He was troubled as to how this made him loyal. Surely such an experience was not worth mutiny?

McCoy made a slight grunt and turned to Zira, "I wouldn't waste your time with this cold-blooded hobgoblin. The only thing that can entertain Spock is a dressed up calculator."

The ringleader laughed politely tweaked the doctor's noise. "You're a cute one you are." She headed back to the center of the tent as McCoy stared after her while touching his nose with an air of disbelief. It wasn't everyday a young woman called him cute.

Spock chose to focus on the dozens of wooden bleachers that lined the darkened areas around the lit arena. All were devoid of life, making Spock wonder if Miss Zira cleared it out for their benefit. After all, she seemed to anticipate their arrival with her dramatic spot-light entrance into their lives. Her theatrical performance continued as she moved with a particular swing in her hip that fascinated the Captain and Bones. They took several steps to follow her; yet, without warning, several fireworks set off within the tent, blinding everyone not expecting it.

The loud bang made Spock push the first person he could reach to the ground, which happened to be McCoy. The doctor sprawled to the floor with a yelp while Kirk whirled around to see what the trouble was. Since both Terrans present had been previously exposed to pyrotechnics, the lights and sounds yielded no embarrassing spur-of-the-moment reactions. Spock however, did the only logical thing he could at the time by assuming it was an ambush and shoving the only medic out of harms way.

A moment of Vulcan awkwardness ensued. McCoy didn't know whether to laugh or start a shouting match from his position on the ground. All of them didn't notice the sudden appearance of a group of women that suddenly surrounded them until they giggled at the spectacle the three of them were making.

There were all shapes and sizes of beauty organized in a neat circle around them; a pair of Orion twins that looked upon McCoy with hungry eyes, a tall Andorian that stood proud and held a mysterious allure that made Kirk tilt his head in curiosity, a shy Bajoran who hid her face when stared at but smiled though her fingers, a Klaestronian who leaned against a seductive looking Cardassian while a tough looking Kling-on woman flexed her fingers around a slender staff she carried. There were a score others, all foreign, all in their prime, all holding Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy in thrall.

Spock was staring at a Vulcan woman who was staring back at him with interest. Both their eyebrows rose at the same time.

"This is my collection of Dolls." Zira said sweetly as she rotated with her arms outstretched. "A compilation of the most beautiful flowers from a dozen different gardens." Her metaphor worked its magic over the males – with an obvious exception. "Here, you are invited to stop and smell the roses… but boys…careful, some of them have thorns." At this, a Romulan temptress smirked and blew a kiss towards Kirk.

"Impressive." The captain grinned like a school-boy. It slid down a notch as his brain started to overcome the other parts of him. "I hope they're not being held against their will… I've heard of places that 'collect' alien species, while in actuality its _abduction_."

"Oh that's not it at all," came a pleasant voice that had been nestled between what looked like a cat-girl and the Andorian. "Our salaries probably exceed yours… _Captain_." It was a flaxen haired Terran with eyes of sapphire. Her smile was like honey, and Kirk was the bumblebee.

Spock stopped his evaluation of the Vulcan 'Doll' and turned to Zira. "I do not intend to be rude, but what is the purpose of these theatrics?"

Those words seemed to suck the energy out of the room.

Zira tilted her head, her oil black eyes drinking in the sight of the Science Officer. Spock was unnerved and involuntarily put a hand to his head as if experiencing a headache. This made Jim rip his hazel eyes away from the pleasing blond to rest on his second in command. "Are you all right Spock?" The concern made Spock immediately straighten as if nothing had happened.

Doctor McCoy echoed his Captain's movements and left the two Orion girls pouting. This made the ringleader grind her teeth whilst everyone was distracted. She wagged her finger in an over-exaggerated manner. "I _knew_ a Vulcan wouldn't be comfortable! I was merely showing the Captain what we have to offer the rest of his crew. I wouldn't be a good merchant if I didn't let him sample the merchandise, _hm_?"

The Vulcan woman and the Terran both stepped forward into the arena lights while the others walked into the shadows and seemed to disappear. Jim was looking around at this event with perplexity on his features. Most of his suspicions were aimed at the painted woman who led them. Spock was glad Jim was finally being more perceptive of what was happening – well, that was until the blond set a dainty hand on the captain's shoulder and ruined it all.

"If you would like, we could be your guides and show you around the rest of the Amusement Park? That is… if Zira doesn't mind." She looked to her boss; her long eyelashes batting in beat with Kirk's captured heart.

"Could she?" Kirk asked his charisma now at full since he finally had a reason to use it.

Zira smiled and bowed graciously. "I wouldn't have it any other way!" She motioned to the two young women. "Vienna and T'Lai will serve as your hosts in my absence. As you can imagine, it's busy work running this heaven beneath the waves… so I will part from you here to continue with my paperwork." She turned about and practically sashayed into the darkness, "but I'll see you all again soon; _very_ soon."

If Spock had a danger sense, it would have been tingling though out this entire encounter.

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**Authors Notes**:

Not very many reviews... I'll probably only work on this leisurely due to lack of interest. I'm mostly doing this to try and get out of this slump I'm in. That and I'm missing this particular trio now that I've moved onto TNG. Sorry if any characters seemed out of character... Spock is hard to write for. I intended Kirk to be the one I was narrating around, but Spock seems the logical choice since he'll be the least distracted in these next few chapters. There's a lot of estogen around...

In my defense I'm partly in Spock's head which I think is far more human then he shows.

Please read and review. Tell me what you like and don't like so that I can start tailoring this sucker. Right now my own imagination is running away with me.


	3. Chapter Two: Smiles & Chocolate

**Carnival**

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_Chapter Two  
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Smiles and Chocolate

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The grand tour of Pacifica's Carnival was intriguing, to say the least. The noise was still there, like a broken music box and several hundred times louder to Spock's sensitive ears. The sense of claustrophobia was another malady of this tour, for the sheer amount of people present baffled the three Starfleet Officers as they forced their way through the crowds. Eyes of every shape and color peered at them curiously while they passed; some even had the nerve to scan them with strange devices before Kirk confiscated them for "violation of personal rights".

"…Captain, need I remind you that General Order 34, states : Starfleet captains will honor, respect, and display extreme tolerance for species-based customs and practices in-so-far as the safety of the vessel is not threatened by such practices. I will point out that those tourists were Tellarites… and merely scanning us for anomalies as is their custom, for they have been suspicious of changelings as of late."

"Spock, I know that _you_ know… that _I_ know... standard regulation. You don't have to quote it for me. I just don't _like_ being scanned by anything in the hands of someone I don't know. Besides, it's something you can tinker with." With a grin he threw the small devices over his shoulder.

Spock snatched them out of the air and frowned at them. "I do not _tinker_ Captain_, _perhaps you have me confused with Mr. Scott."

Kirk chuckled and followed after Vienna who was leading the way; she seemed to be able to duck and weave through any obstacle without even ruffling her gauzy skirts. Kirk matched her graceful maneuvers to keep pace and flirt simultaneously. The feat was impressive by most human wooing customs – not that Spock was interested in such things... normally.

T'Lai preferred to walk next to McCoy in order to take advantage of the spaces he made in his wake. More tourist shoving ensued with the occasional colorful phrase thrown in. If Spock didn't know any better, he'd think the doctor enjoyed this. In between these occurrences, a choppy conversation was taking place. The topic made the Vulcan slow fractionally to better overhear. It seemed like an ample oppurtunity to accumulate as much data on this strange planet as possible.

"So you live here under tons of water… in this epileptic _nightmare_?" McCoy's tone was incredulous, as one would suspect. T'Lai was a Vulcan, and yet she willingly surrounded herself by all the traits a Vulcan would despise. Compared to Spock, who could only stand being here for a few hours, she seemed like a Goddess of self-torture. The money she was making must be worth it - though, Vulcans didn't seem like the time to be swayed by cash. There was exceptions to every race however. "You must be paid in planets!"

T'Lai laughed, "Closer to moons I would imagine… but yes, a lot."

McCoy thought that if angels could laugh it would sound just like that – free and feathery in the way it rolled out of her throat.

Spock froze in horror at this expression of glee, while McCoy continued to stare in bewilderment. The Vulcan woman glanced at both of their faces and stifled herself. "Come now, you must realize that there is no way I could follow Vulcan Traditions and live such a life style?" Her eyes flashed rapidly from the doctor to Spock, then to the doctor again.

Spock answered with silence and a sudden increase in pace so that he was midway between the two couples. The coldness of the gesture surprised McCoy and he frowned at his friend. Was he really that miserable down here? T'Lai raised an eyebrow and moved closer to McCoy so that she could speak in a quieter tone, "The Science Officer doesn't seem to enjoy my presence at all, or am I reading him incorrectly?" she inquired, motioning with her dark eyes to the blue-clad figure with his back to them.

"He just… he-" At first the words seemed like they would come quickly, but then they abandoned him the moment he opened his mouth. The doctor sighed in frustration. Describing Spock was more difficult then it should have been. He decided to keep it simple. "Spock's a pain in the ass. He hates the idea of wasting time here when he could be off nattering about quantum physics with the engineer… or poking at things in the lab." His blue eyes flitted to T'Lai's face. She was absorbing everything he was saying. It struck him as rather odd, for usually people just ignored the crotchety old man. "He's only here because both the Captain and I think he needs to get his head out of a science magazine and into real life."

The woman nodded slowly and seemed to stare into space. "And he complied despite knowing he would be uncomfortable in such a setting. How fascinating…" The Vulcan touched her fingertips to her lips absently. McCoy found himself staring at them. "Maybe we have it backwards and Vienna should be the one…" Her sentence trailed off into nothingness when she noticed McCoy looking at her intently. She smiled sweetly, snapping him out of his reverie, "Perhaps we should hurry. The Captain and Vienna are going to lose us in the crowd soon."

McCoy agreed, though still a little dazed. He wondered if he needed to take a psycho-stimulant to focus on anything _but_ the pretty ladies that were currently playing host. He was getting as bad as Kirk - and at his age that was embarrassing.

After a while, they all stopped outside of what looked to be an old Terran saloon. Bones laughed at the swinging doors and rustic architecture. "Why, this is straight out of the history books! Look Jim, I think they even have a spittoon." He wandered over with his Bacilli Scanner and whistled at what it found. Soon he turned around and spotted the collection of distilled liquids through the window. The doctor rubbed his hands together before pointing a thumb at it and making eye contact with Kirk. It seemed the doctor had found his haunt for the afternoon.

The captain linked arms with Vienna in a bold move that earned him a blush. "Well, since you're our lovely guide, why don't you show us around the place?"

Vienna nodded as T'Lai chimed in with, "This is a favorite place for humanoids with a metabolism capable of breaking down ethanol. We thought you might like to investigate."

"And investigate we shall. C'mon Bones, let's start with the bar." They entered the saloon, ready for some fun.

There were a lot of dead things hanging from the walls and ceilings. Animal pelts and skulls that probably hadn't been considered alive in centuries. Spock tried not to look at them, but nothing in that room worked with preferences. Everything was dirty; there was straw on the floor, stains on the tables, straggling beards on the males and gaudy make-up on the females. There were a few exceptions, such as one or two aliens that were obviously from off world.

Bones grabbed Spock by the arm and practically dragged him to the bar. "C'mere, you stand out like a sore thumb just standing there with your mouth open. There's something I always wanted to try."

"My mouth was not open." He set a hand on the bar, and then retracted it quickly as he realized it was now covered in sticky beer. There was a puddle of it sitting on the counter as if it belonged there. Spock added it to his mental list of things he disliked about this particular bar. It was getting very long. "Why do you believe me a necessary addition in this escapade of yours, doctor?" Spock said curtly, practically glaring at McCoy.

McCoy ignored the Vulcan for the moment and flagged down the bartender. "Double shot of brandy and Brown Tangqa' for my friend here."

"No, nothing for me. Besides, if your aim is to intoxicate, I will point out... yet again, that alcohol has no effect on me."

"You think I don't know that? I'm a doctor damn it!"

"I am not thirsty and I do not think this establishment is entirely sanitary." Spock lowered his voice slightly as to not attract the attention of the burly bartender. It was the tendencies of some cultures to over react to such statements, and Spock did not want to try and be diplomatic at a time like this. His hand was covered in beer.

Bones rolled his eyes and forced the Commander onto a wooden barstool. "Relax. We're on Shore leave. You're not supposed to worry about details." T'Lai sat down daintily next to Spock as if cued, and gave him one of her small smiles. "You should listen to your doctor. You're wound tighter then your Captain around Vienna's finger."

Spock looked over to see Jim and Vienna at table with three others. They were playing poker despite having entered only five point nine minutes ago. As anticipated, Jim blended in well with this oddball crowd, and was currently smirking over his cards while asking his compatriots if they ever heard of the 'Corbomite Maneuver.' He was holding Vienna's attention by explaining the whole thing in detail. Then again, perhaps it was Vienna holding Jim's attention by capturing him with her 'baby blues'. She batted those long lashes of hers in a manner that was almost hypnotic. Spock didn't know what to feel. "I think that his infatuation may be a component to my appearing 'tightly wound'. Based on experience, nothing good comes out of Jim involving himself with a woman."

At this Doctor McCoy leaned over, his brandy in his hand, and whispered, "Correction, as his doctor I can say nothing good comes out of him involving himself with _strange_ women. Without my help half the galaxy would be overrun with all kinds of-"

"Spare me the details doctor." Spock interrupted quickly. He mentally cringed and attempted to change the subject before it came up again. It wasn't difficult as a fancy glass was laid in front of him with a cocoa drizzle he could smell before seeing. He stared at the cocktail as though it insulted him. "Doctor. There is chocolate in this beverage."

T'Lai's lips widened, "Brilliant Doctor McCoy."

"It's just what the doctor ordered." He pushed it towards the Vulcan, before making eye contact with T'Lai. "So what I read is true then? Chocolate has an intoxicating effect on Vulcan physiology that mimics the consumption of alcohol…?"

"Not entirely. It has the same effect as it does on humans, but when when applied to Vulcan physiology the effect is amplified many times over. It produces a feeling a euphoria, since several neurotransmitters flood the synapses responsible for pleasure and well being. This of course eleviates all stress and leaves a Vulcan feeling considerably 'happy'"

"Spock... _happy_?" The way Bones' eyes lit up made the Vulcan stand from his bar stool and head to the door. Both T'Lai and Doctor McCoy made to follow, but Spock held up his hand and stopped them in mid stride. "I am afraid I have had enough Shore Leave for the day Doctor. It is getting late and I would like to make a report on the Theme Park to review tonight with the Captain. I will then catalog and file it in the database before we beam down the rest of the crew."

Jim's ears perked up at the sound of Spock trying to be assertive. He looked from the retreating officer to Bones, then back to his pointy-eared sidekick. "Leaving Spock? I was thinking that we could send the Gamma group down tonight, just to get the excitement up for tomorrow you know? They're the night crew anyway, and Pacifica never closes."

There was still something unsettling about this place that made Spock hesitate in his reply. Zira had made him nervous… as did their two guides. He felt as though he were missing a large piece of a puzzle, and that this piece was very important to seeing this place as a whole. He looked to T'Lai who was innocently looking back at him before McCoy patted him on the shoulder, snapping him back into focus.

"How about you go organize the Gamma group, Spock? You can do your report, and then fetch us later. Jim and I will stay here and loosen up a bit, after all, that's what we came here for." His voice was coaxing now, and almost apologetic. It made Spock feel more at ease; they weren't forcing him to stay.

He nodded and dismissed himself politely from the group. His stride was more confident now that it was leading him towards the serenity of the Enterprise; but before he could make it outside, T'Lai grabbed his arm and clutched it to her chest. They were half-way out the swinging doors. Half-way to freedom.

He raised an eyebrow. The relief he felt at making it out of this nightmare vanished the instant she touched him.

"Wait! Please. I was wondering if you could reciprocate our hospitality and give me a tour of your starship. I know it is a sudden request, but I don't wish you to leave quite yet. I haven't seen a Vulcan in six point twelve years." The Vulcan woman's eyes flitted to the Captain, who had Vienna practically sitting in his lap. "Is it… allowed?"

"Of course! Spock hasn't chatted with a Vulcan in a far while either, and he constantly harps on about humans being frustrating."

"I never used _'frustrating'_ in that context Captain…"

Jim interrupted, the smile on his face just getting bigger and bigger, "Keep an eye on her will you?" Spock had the sinking suspicion that his Captain thought that he was doing him favor. The man had the audacity to wink at him and Spock knew he lost the battle. T'Lai was going to be stuck with him for the next few hours, so there was no logic in moping about it now.

"As you wish Captain." It was hard to keep the displeasure from his voice. His ward bowed to him and tilted her head to suggest that they commence this new adventure post-haste. Spock complied and led the woman outside to a semi-clear portion of space; behind him he could hear McCoy and Jim laughing. The tips of his ears turned pale green and with what Vulcan dignity he had left, he addressed T'Lai sternly.

"It is not our norm to take on guests that are neither in need of assistance or nor authorized by Starfleet Command; however, since the Captain deems you an exception, I will explain some rules and regulations that you must abide by at all times." He pulled out his communicator as he spoke and set the frequency to the appropriate level before looking at T'Lai to make sure she was listening. She was smiling like a china doll and nodding occasionally.

Spock continued and motioned to an alleyway that would serve as appropriate cover for their beam out. "You must not touch any of the control panels, intercoms, weapons or essential mechanisms. You will follow every order given to you, even if you do not like it. You will remain in my sight at all times, and you will ask permission to perform any action that isn't walking, talking or cellular respiration. Do you understand?"

T'Lai patted her elaborate up-do as to make sure not a hair was out of place. "I wonder how the Captain would function without you there to play the rulebook Mr. Spock." There was humor in her eyes that Spock only saw once before in a Vulcan. That was decades ago...

"I do not _play_ T'Lai. I am serious. Do you understand?"

"More then you imagine…" She practically grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I agree to your terms." Though obviously not with pleasure since her tone was laced with some attitude. "Please, continue."

Spock pressed the main button on his communicator and raised it to his face. "Mr. Scott, do you read me?"

After a moment of odd silence, the interference from the gallons of water between the Science Officer and the ship made some strange static merge with the voice of the Scottish engineer. "-oud sir, b- _zzz_ –ot very clea-"

"Two to beam aboard Mr. Scott. I repeat for clarification, two to beam aboard. I have sent you the co-ordinates. I am standing by." Spock waited until Scotty managed to procure a clear reading before standing stiffly with is arms behind his back. T'Lai copied him for fear of doing something that would jeopardize her arrival on the Enterprise.

When the dazzling lights seemed to rip her atoms apart, she gasped. In the space of time it took her to do so, she found herself standing on the transporter pad facing three uniformed men with surprised expressions on their faces.

Mr. Scott's brow furrowed, but his eyes twinkled. "Bringin' a lady home to meet the folks, eh Mr. Spock? Didn't think yeh had it in yeh."

"Had what in me, Mr. Scott?"

The awkward silence made Scotty clear his throat. "Nothing Commander, just trying a little humor." The Engineer looked to Lieutenant Kyle who shrugged and attempted to hide the smile slowly spreading across his face.

* * *

**Author's Note**:

Thank you all for the reviews! Short and sweet at they were, they made me scramble to open MS Word and get my fingers to the keyboard. Nothing like coming home from a long day of work to find a new review cheering me on. -hint hint, nudge nudge-

This chapter is a little on the boring side, but I needed to establish a sense of normality that I can ruin later once all the bad things start happening. It's kind of light hearted now, and the characters a little pushed to their extremes. They'll get more reigned in. Spock's still bugging me a little. He LOATHES being at this Carnival. It's only his Vulcan nature that's dumbing it down as a bit of an irritant rather then the last place he wants to be. God, the loud noises alone would do it for him... but the laughing and screaming and mindlessness of it all has to be a Vulcan hell.

Also, I seldom write for McCoy... so tell me if I'm completely off track. He's a special kind of cynical I don't think I quite mastered yet.

Oh! And what gave me the idea for an underwater Carnival? There was a fair in town, and as I was waiting in line for the Zipper I was getting a headache from all the screaming and carnival tunes. Theme Parks are so noisy! I thought that it would be the wosrt place for a Vulcan to end up... and voila! Idea! In the planning stages I was trying to find a Federation planet that would be a good host for a Theme park when I stumbled on Pacifica and thought "Hey... underwater Carnival would be nifty... be kinda horrific too since they'd be so deep no one could hear them scream... MUHAHAHAHA!"


	4. Chapter Three: Logic & Truth

**Carnival**

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_Chapter Three_

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Logic and Truth

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* * *

Organizing the Gamma group and deploying them to Pacifica was a simple task compared to being exposed to the sensory overload that was the Carnival below. Checking off names and giving orders soothed his ruffled mood better then any sedative McCoy could offer. Even T'Lai's presence couldn't affect his performance now that he had a task to oversee. He was a picture of pure contentment.

When the last crew member beamed down, the Science Officer reviewed the digital roster and signed it off. T'Lai looked over his shoulder curiously; the scent of her skin was invading Spock's comfort zone. "There were 144 people within this room. You previously mentioned that all present were a fraction of the crew on board; is this correct?" Her tone expressed a sense of awe that intrigued Spock.

"Affirmative. There are a total of 430 men and women assigned to this vessel." He put his hands behind his back and addressed T'Lai like he would a Cadet. "284 are currently on the Enterprise - 139 are engaged in their duties, 145 are sleeping or experiencing leisure activities. 146 are below, two of which are likely intoxicated beyond repair." It was obvious he felt slightly frustrated at the actions of his associates.

"You don't need to refer to a device in order to know such details?" T'Lai was impressed.

"Of course not. It is my duty to ensure that the Enterprise is functioning as efficiently as possible. That entails knowing every crewmember and their current status." He turned and started down the corridor without warning. T'Lai was momentarily confused at the abruptness of his leaving.

The report was on the Vulcan's mind. Perhaps now that he had T'Lai with him, he could inquire about some details that escaped his earlier information gathering. She followed him like his shadow. Her eyes seemed to roam over everything in sight. They stopped outside of Spock's quarters and she gently touched the name plate next to the doors. The Vulcan woman didn't bother to suppress a grin as she said, "You're inviting me into your room? In some cultures, one would think it bold."

"It is just a room." He faced the woman with seriousness etched in every feature. "Additional rules apply here however. You may not interrupt me while I am working on my report, nor will you try using your feminine wiles. Though you are Vulcan, you seem to favor seduction as a means to get what you desire. It maybe effective when applied to Captain Kirk, but it is only wasted energy when I am the intended target. Understood?"

One of her eyebrows rose as if in challenge. She was surprised that he'd be so blunt about her charms; she had forgotten how stiff her race had been. When Spock mirrored her expression T'Lai sighed. "All right. I know a lost cause when I see it. Most men on Pacifica admire me for my _stimulating_ conversations rather then my body anyway. I have not abandoned the ways of logic, though I may smile and laugh like an uncivilized barbarian."

Spock opened the door and entered his room. "Emotion is illogical, therefore your statement is contradictory; furthermore, we do not look upon those with emotion as 'barbarians,' they are just unpredictable; therefore, unreliable."

T'Lai daintily crossed the threshold and stared around at all of Spock's decorative pieces. "Chaotic compared to order, which you prize above all else I assume." She replied as she dared to touch a few Vulcan artifacts when she thought the officer wasn't looking. "My expressions could be a farce, however. You should know best… living with humans as you do; thinking one thing while saying another is an easy task for them. Likewise, I can seem to express… yet be devoid of all emotion attached to said actions if I wished it."

"Do you wish it?"

The woman seemed to ignore the question as her hands reached out to take hold of a framed picture. It was of a Terran woman beaming at the camera like the person holding it meant the world to her. Her blue eyes held so much positivity that looking at it made T'Lai swell with a feeling kin to love. As she moved to pick the frame up, Spock grabbed her forearm and gently pushed her away. "Do not touch anything." The coldness of his voice cut through the room like a knife. Spock dropped her arm and marched to his desk where he promptly sat down.

"Mr. Spock." T'Lai's eyebrows knitted together in concern. "There is a picture of a human female by your bedside. I am most curious."

"And you will continue to be so as I commence this report." He didn't both to address her with his eyes as he went to work. "Computer, access database. Search word 'Pacifica' followed by 'Madame Zira'." The computer sprang to life and started to spew information about the planet while T'Lai allowed a slight pout to reach her lips. She felt ignored, she should have known better. Spock was a tough man to crack.

Spock was uninterested in most of the information the computer provided and hastened to any details about Zira. He quickly realized that there was no file on such a person; it made his suspicions sky-rocket, yet he still had no proof that this woman was a liability. The Vulcan folded his fingers together and stared at the screen over them. With every passing hour this Carnival seemed to weigh more heavily on his mind. There had to be some way of accessing addition information on this woman.

T'Lai was sitting innocently on Spock's bed, staring absently at his harp. Spock's chocolate colored eyes flitted from the screen to her form. He narrowed them slightly. Would she aid him? He had been treating her as a ticking time bomb lately, but she did say she was known for conversation. There was no harm in trying.

"T'Lai. What do you know of Zira?"

The woman's head turned slowly to reveal a look of slyness that Spock immediately disliked. "I know some things of interest; however, I'm not willing to provide you with the information you seek unless a suitable trade is offered." She folded her hands neatly in her lap and angled her head so that one of her sleek curls rolled down her neck. Spock merely stared as though disinterested, but T'Lai knew better. She would make Spock come to her one way or another.

"What are you willing to accept?"

The woman thought for a moment. "If I were in this situation with _anyone_ else, the possibilities would be endless. However, since you seem to be put off by offers sensual in nature, I will accept information for information."

"I will not tell you anything that will jeopardize the Enterprise or any member of its crew."

She lifted herself from the bunk and meandered to Spock's desk. "_Any_ member? What if the only one potentially harmed by this exchange is you? You see… I can not divulge information about Zira _directly_, just as much as you can not jeopardize your captain _directly_." She leaned against the desk surface and rested her chin on her slender hands. "Yet, I can tell you anything you would like about _myself_, including opinions and observations that are my own to give. So, how about we talk about each other? It would be fair, and we would both benefit since I find you absolutely _fascinating_."

Spock contemplated the offer. "Am I permitted to cease the information exchange at any time I wish?"

T'Lai nodded. "We will alternate asking questions until one of us decides that it is enough."

"I accept these terms." Spock rose and went to one of his cabinets. From within he drew out an egg-like device and set it near the computer. The screen went blank as soon as this was done and when Spock began to speak, words typed themselves on the screen. "I will assume that I will start this interview?"

The Vulcan woman nodded again, but eyed the device with concern. She knew enough about modern technology to know that computers usually have a dictating function, so anything external wouldn't be required. Spock noticed her observations and explained, "This is a lie detector. Our ships computer has one as well, but it struggles to pick up Vulcan deceit, since it is nearly unheard of. You will have to forgive its use, for I do not trust that you will not vary from the truth. You are not honor bound by any culture, nor any organization."

T'Lai looked defensive for once and anger colored her cheeks. "I have my _word_ Mr. Spock, and you could have asked for it. Your perception of me as an enemy is unwarranted and I find it insulting. You have no right to judge me a liar based on my lifestyle. It may be dramatically different from your own, but it is not the Vulcan way to assume that such differences turn me into the opposition."

Spock dismissed her rant. He had no urge to engage in an argument when there was data to gather. "What is your true purpose in coming aboard the Enterprise?"

So Spock thought she had an ulterior motive, and he wasn't hesitant to throw it out into the open either. T'Lai was still ruffled that he didn't reply to her outburst. She picked at some non-existent lint on her shoulder and tried to look dignified as she replied, "I have no interest in the ship, just you. I wished to continue my study of your mannerisms, so I asked to be able to accompany you. Simple as that."

The Vulcan relaxed slightly. If there was something sinister going on behind the scenes, at least the ship was not the intended target. He was going to have to phrase his next question carefully to maximize the amount of information received. He had so many inquires that needed to be satisfied, and he doubted this game would last that long.

T'Lai adjusted so that she was standing straight, with her eyes looking down at Spock in a poise what would normally be considered intimidating, but since both present were Vulcan, it was merely natural.

"What is it you fear Mr. Spock?"

The question caught Spock off guard, and he stared into the woman's face as if he misinterpreted her words. She repeated them with a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "_Fears_, Mr. Spock. I am interested to know yours. What is your darkest nightmare? What would shake that razor sharp mind of yours and fill it with terror?"

"I am Vulcan. I do not feel fear."

Immediately the small device on his desk let out a loud chime, and in Spock's own voice it announced, "That is a lie."

This made Spock look both confused and uncomfortable. T'Lai was looking extremely smug. "My my, you need to play by your own rules Mr. Spock. Who would have thought that the perfect _Vulcan_ would lie first, and so blatantly?" The backlash of using the lie detector wounded Spock's pride. It was a reflexive defense mechanism in any conversation which featured emotions.

The officer sat back in his chair, his body tense now that he was forced to dwell on things he would rather not. He had experienced nightmares on occasion, but nothing dramatic. Fear was something he seldom had to face, but he knew what it was all too well. Doctor McCoy hit the nail on the head months ago, when they found themselves caged together on Planet 892-IV.

"_Do you know why you're not afraid to die, Spock? You're more afraid of living. Each day you stay alive is just one more day you might slip and let your human half peek out._"

McCoy knew his weaknesses better then Jim did, perhaps that is why Spock found it difficult to be alone with the doctor. He was just too good at finding the right places to push that would make him feel all kinds of human; Fragile. Weak._ Illogical_.

"I am afraid of… my humanity." Spock said simply. His face was angled to the surface of his desk as to not see T'Lai's reaction. It had to be one of surprise, or perhaps it was that expression of smugness he was learning to loathe. The woman was in stunned silence until Spock heard the rustle of her clothing as she turned back to the picture frame next to his bunk. "So that photograph… is that your mother?"

"I do believe that is an additional question that will have to wait until you have finished answering mine." Spock collected his thoughts and tried to phrase his next inquiry in a way that couldn't be avoided or answered vaguely. "Based on what you have perceived so far, how do Kirk, McCoy and I figure into Zira's plan?"

"Clever. It is hard to phrase an appropriate response without a lengthy explanation as to what that plan actually is." T'Lai backed up sat down on Spock's bed. She furrowed her brow as she pieced together something to say. "The Carnival requires people to function. Regular people are adequate, but you and your friends are not regular people. You will fu-"

Her sentence was cut short as she gasped and doubled over, making Spock exit his chair hastily and check on her. She was struggling to breathe, her hands clutching the side of Spock's mattress as to prevent them from flying to where ever the pain seemed to originate. Spock set his hands on her shoulder's to steady her, but she shrugged them off. After a moment, she could breathe freely. She looked up into Spock's face and smiled weakly. "Seems I said too much."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Thank-you for your concern for my well being." Her sarcasm seemed to give her strength. Spock was just glad that he didn't have to explain why a dead Vulcan woman was in his room. There was enough on his plate is it was. T'Lai continued, "As you may have noticed, I am physically unable to reveal that information."

"Then may I change my earlier question and ask why you are unable to formulate an adequate reply?"

At this new inquiry, T'Lai went silent. Spock could only assume that she was calculating the probability of being harmed again if she answered. After a moment, her hands went to the neck line of her patterned dress. Spock's eyes followed her fingers as she tugged at the collar to reveal a rather large ruby nestled between her breasts. It seemed to be melded into her flesh, and it pulsed with a dull light that matched the rhythm of her heart.

"All Dolls have these ingrained into their flesh. It allows Zira into our thoughts and minds."

This was a development that baffled Spock.

"This woman can see and hear everything you and the other Dolls experience, and can potentially control you through that gem."

"Yes."

Spock stared blankly at the jewel thrust into T'Lai's chest. Such a thing was so absurd, that no logic Spock could conjure could explain the existence of such a thing. "Why allow such an invasion? What does she use you for?" To a Vulcan, the mind was sacred. Even the most basic sentient races regarded the privacy of ones own thoughts to be essential. This was a horrific misuse of power.

T'Lai was amused by Spock's absolute disgust. "That is two questions Mr. Spock, and it's not even your turn. It is time for my question." She got up off the bed and soothed out the wrinkles in her dress; she also corrected her neckline to cover the pulsating ruby. "That is, unless you do not wish to continue?" Her dark grey eyes searched the face of her fellow Vulcan and she found nothing there. She took this as him allowing her to resume. "My next question is delicate… so allow me to speak so it is off the record" The woman gestured to the computer and looked back to Spock.

Since it would be information on his self, Spock agreed and allowed T'Lai to stand on her tip-toes and lean close to his ear. The movement made Spock tense; he did not like her being this close. He felt her breathe on his ear as she asked...

"_Did you see this coming_?"

The voice was not T'Lai's. It was Zira's.

They moved at the same time. Spock sensed hostility and immediately went to strike the woman in the neck, but T'Lai had her hand halfway up his back before the confrontation even began and got to his subclavian nerve first. Spock managed to strike her across the face as he went down, splitting T'Lai's lip. The woman was dazed by the blow and fell into the wall. She quickly recovered and wiped the blood from her face, dying her sleeve green. She frowned at it before looking down at the floor.

Spock was unconscious and unscathed from the short fall. T'Lai tasted the copper in her blood and glared at the figure at her feet. "Almost had me… too suspicious for your own good, Mr. Spock, should have let me seduce you instead... it would have worked out better for the both of us." She reached down and tugged at Spock's arms in order to heave him onto his bunk. It wasn't difficult with her alien strength.

Afterward she slipped into his computer chair and deleted the evidence of their chat, then debated whether or not to fry the mother board for good measure. She decided the less suspicious she left Spock's room the better. She packed up his truth detector and placed it back into the cupboard he previously removed it from, before heading to the door. She gave one last look around to make sure nothing hinted at what took place, before exiting into the corridor.

As soon as she entered the hallway she ran into the portly engineer who greeted her in the Transporter room. There was a moment of awkwardness as he eyed her up and down before centering in on her broken lip. T'Lai tensed.

"Are yea all right lass?" There was both concern and apprehension in his voice.

"I'm only slightly damaged." She smiled serenely. "I had not realized that Mr. Spock has not engaged with a Vulcan woman in several years. I thought I'd make it memorable as well as educational, which seems to be his preference. I suggested some Terran mating customs since we were both interested in some of their foreign mannerisms. Kissing seemed a difficult concept, as you can see from the evidence." She ran her tongue over her lower lip. Scotty's eyes followed the movement as if caught in thrall. He turned redder then his shirt.

"That was…" He struggled for the right word, his mind no longer running efficiently after this sneak peek into his senior officer's sex life. "…_thoughtful_... of yea."

"Since Dr. McCoy is at the Carnival, do you mind beaming me back home so that he can take a quick look at it before he returns? I was supposed to rendezvous with him and the Captain half and hour ago, but Mr. Spock and I-"

"Say no more Lassie, I'll get yea home." He rotated to face the way he came. He walked down the corridor in a daze, T'Lai practically gliding at his side. She tried some small talk with him, but her voice had a bit of a purr to it that prevented the blush on the Engineer's face from fading. He tried not to look at the girl the entire way to the Transporter Room because every time he did, he couldn't help but imagine Spock biting that plump lip of hers in the heat of passion.

He could have lived _without_ that sort of visual.

.

* * *

**Author's Note**:

I've got myself out of so many sticky situations by distracting people with dirty thoughts. I swear, there's not enough blood in the body to run both the brain and reproductive organs at the same time. Now the darkness begins! Spock, the only one who thinks something is a miss, is out of commission! What are the Captain and Bones going to do now? Especially since they've been drinking... _muhahaha_!

Please read and review. I am the worst proof-reader on the planet; if you spot anything amiss, do tell. Also if you think that the characters are off, please inform me of that as well. I've been going back and editing some of Spock's lines to make him sound more impersonal. I can't improve without feedback! I'm starving for a simple "_So-and-so_ was here".

Don't make me beg.


	5. Chapter Four: Brandy & Ferris Wheels

**Carnival**

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_Chapter Four_

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Brandy and Ferris Wheels

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* * *

The tavern became a hive of chatter and activity as more regulars found their way through the swinging doors. Some of the newcomers sported Starfleet uniforms and managed to join into the rowdy card games and storytelling without difficulty. It was now the equivalent of midnight by Pacifica's standards, and the beer continued to roll down the bar in glasses that seemed to get bigger by the hour. The mood was friendly… almost _too_ friendly.

Captain Kirk was engaging half the drunkards with a song he picked up on Orion. His shirt was torn from an earlier re-enactment of the brawl he managed to get caught up in on Taurus IV and some painted ladies by the piano were ogling his chest. The younger boys were joining in Kirk's discordant ballad, but none of them knew any of the words. It all came out as a sort of wail with a faint melody line. The chorus was the only thing remotely understandable, mostly because it became louder the longer the song dragged on.

Bones found himself tucked away in a grimy corner, his only company being a large tumbler full of brandy. He was perched on a barstool and scrunched against the wall while some burly alien - whose origin he couldn't quite place - kept him from having any elbow room. The doctor took a sip of what was now his fourth glass of alcohol and frowned at how the bottom of it seemed to stick to the wood of the counter. He muttered something about how coasters reflected a civilized society before running the liquid over his tongue. The taste of good brandy always reminded McCoy of Earth, and everything he had left behind.

Space never agreed with him. The cold gaping void filled with pretty lights and endless nights might sound like poetry to the average spaceman, but it was hell to the accomplished doctor. It _stole_ him rather then enticed. It took him from his sunny days sipping cold mint juleps on his back porch. Abducted him from the simple life, where a pretty toddler sat at his feet drawing pictures of a perfect family… a broken concept that would haunt his thoughts every night till his dying day.

That devil woman took it away from him – his house, his daughter. All he had left to turn to was the emptiness. Space was his soul, and it was filled with broken things that only he could fix.

McCoy shook his head, feeling slight vertigo as he did so. Now was not the time to reminisce, and yet he caught himself in the act. He'd done enough feeling sorry for himself years ago. The man had friends now; friends he liked to torture on occasion in order to distract himself from his own misery. _Where was Spock anyway_?

The doctor looked blearily around the room for a pair of pointed ears. Finding none, he turned back to his drink with a frown. Maybe he had scared the Vulcan into never going on Shore Leave again. He hadn't meant to. Forcing Spock down here was similar to throwing himself into a nursery full of screaming brats. The mindlessness of it all had to be a nightmare for the poor hobgoblin.

"You're looking awfully glum tonight Doctor McCoy." Vienna said from behind him. Her fingers touched his shoulders in a light caress and McCoy found himself feeling somewhat awkward.

Women and drinking never mixed well with him. Alcohol was something to be appreciated in the company of men… like a good cigar or a dirty joke. Not that he was sexist be any means, it was just one of those old southern stand-bys he couldn't get out of his head. The doctor tried not to let his discomfort show and used his own brand of charisma to keep Vienna at bay.

"You'd be too if _your_ drinking partner had four nostrils and more hair then a bloated tribble." Bones motioned with his eyes to the alien sitting next to him. He was met with a fearsome glare which made Bones recoil a notch. That friendly mood just turned into something sinister, but it didn't stop his tirade. "Yeah I mean _you_, don't you guys shave?"

Vienna tugged at McCoy's arm. "Don't pick fights… come on. Let's get some fresh air before we have to drag your captain home."

McCoy verbally resisted while his body did otherwise. He rose from his stool and swayed like a newborn deer. "Nah… Jim can drink like a fish. Him and Scotty both… they got livers of _steel_. I'd know... I've _seen_ them." He was trying hard not to slur, but doing so caused his speech to slow down considerably and exhume his old southern drawl.

Vienna merely smiled and helped him stand up straight. It didn't take much, because for a man who was drunk, Bones was oddly self-aware. He took a few tentative steps as to test the ability of his legs to support his weight. When they did so he allowed Vienna to link his arm with hers and guide him towards the door. They got halfway before Bones stopped in his tracks and looked Vienna in the eyes with a curious look.

"Wait a tick, what time is it…?"

"Half past twelve, why?" Her blue eyes held his for only a moment and Bones felt fascinated by the look of puzzlement within their depths. They reminded him of the skies back in Texas…

"… S-something important…" He looked away to clear his head, but due to his alcohol intake it was nearly impossible. He spotted a woman drinking something brown out of a martini glass before it came to him. "… Spock. Spock is what it was." A mental picture of the Vulcan's stern face seemed to give Bones the clarity he required to put a coherent sentence together. "He was supposed to be meeting us with that other gal after checking in with the Enterprise. That was at 2300 hours."

The woman set a reassuring hand against the man's cheek and continued to smile as If nothing was wrong. "Then he must be running late. T'Lai is most likely keeping him busy."

Bones pulled away from her hand absently, his mind was on the missing Science Officer and nothing else. "You don't know Spock. That stiff necked son of a bitch would commit suicide before he sacrificed something like _punctuality_." He untangled his arm from Vienna's and spun around to find the Captain. Vienna's face warped into one of extreme annoyance before she followed after him. "I'm sure he's just delayed…"

Her words were drowned out by the collective voices of eleven caroling men being led by Kirk. They sounded like cats in heat, and the doctor was forced to cover his ears before getting close. "Jim! We _may_ or _may not_ have a situation!"

The Captain cut the chorus short with a look of slight confusion; the rest of his terrible choir continued without him. Jim jumped down from the table he was using as a stage with all the grace of a wounded elephant, before careening into a group of Andorians. Some of the nearby ensigns laughed and grabbed his arms to get him back to his feet. Jim chuckled along with them before correcting himself and making his way next to Doctor McCoy. "What did you s-say Bones?" He was hiccupping, and his eyes were dilated.

"Spock is late." McCoy said tersely, his volume barely making it over the background noise. A small headache was developing just above his eye due to the need to shout in order to be heard.

Jim's glassy eyes became a tad more focused at the news, but was obvious he was tipsier then Scotty on his day off. "That doesn't s-sound like Spock. That man is like _clockwork… _"

Bones rolled his eyes, "Glad we have that sorted out. Listen, we should check in anyway. I had enough fun and games for one night and you look like a breeze could knock you over. Damn, I'm getting dizzy just from smelling your breath."

"Ha ha _doctor_. Next time I need your opinion I'll… I'll order it or something. I'll contact the s-ship… just need some quiet…" He hiccupped and laughed at Bones' face when he did. "All right, I'm more then a little… intoxicated. I'll find Spock though; it'll be top priority. He'll order me to bed and we'll all be happy. _Happy_?"

McCoy slapped his hands on the Captain's back in response before pushing him towards the exit. They both wobbled their way through the restless crowd, tripping occasionally over a wayward foot. "Happy? Not at all. I just realized the amount of patients I'm going to have tomorrow sporting hangovers. I don't think we're equipped with that much acetaminophen."

"Just gotta _smile_ Bones. I bet it's your constant complaining that causes half the headaches aboard the ship."

"Ha ha _captain_." The doctor buried the urge to kick Jim in the shins and instead pulled out the man's communicator and put it in his hands. "I suggest you get to your bunk as soon as possible before I deem it necessary to hypo you into a nice restful _slumber_."

"Is that your answer for everything? A jab in the neck?"

"Works for Spock, so why not?" McCoy replied as he took out one of his syringes and waved it threateningly at Kirk.

Jim gave Bones one of those looks that said, '_you wouldn't dare_' before opening his communicator and dialing in the proper frequency. "Enterprise, this is Captain Kirk." He was trying to sound as sober as possible and was pretty good until he couldn't keep the smile out of his voice. "Come in Enterprise."

Static answered. Kirk tried adjusting the frequency until a faint voice could be heard within the mess of sound but their exact words were lost in the distortion. Kirk's grin began to slip, "I don't think this is a good p-point… too much interference."

The Captain looked around for a higher position. The entire carnival was a level plane, the only gains in height were from the buildings and amusement rides. He spotted a Ferris wheel nearby, and in the haze of his intoxication, the grin came back onto his face. "Hey Bones! Wanna go for a ride? We could get Vienna to let them s-stop us at the top for a minute or two while I get a clear s-signal." Jim hiccupped all the way through his words, making Bones shake his head and wave his arms in a dismissive gesture.

"Hell no. You are NOT getting me on that death trap. No way." He stubbornly crossed his arms and firmly planted his feet as if to say they were never going to leave the safety of the ground. "Your mind is in no state to be planning anything Jim. Let's just… wait out the static."

Vienna smiled at the both of them. "On the contrary, that sounds like a perfect way to end the night…"

"See! Vienna agrees with me. Up there it's quiet and we'll most definitely have the clearest s-signal possible. We can even beam out from t-there."

Bones could not believe what he was hearing. "Are you out of your mind!"

"Yeah... a little bit... but that's what makes it _fun_! C'mon Bones, you're as tense as Spock. Live a little. It's only a Ferris Wheel."

"You'll throw up on me."

Jim managed to sigh and keep that grin plastered on his face. "Don't make me order you on there. It's a possible s-solution and I'm going to take it."

"I'll order _you_ unfit for ordering _me _anywhere. I'm staying on the ground where I _won't_ die from transfiguring myself into a pancake. You can barely stand without toppling, and you're going to put your ass up _there_?"

Vienna put a hand on each of the officers. "Now boys, how about the Captain and _I_ go on the Ferris Wheel while the doctor waits for us on the ground? Then we'll get the message to your ship, tell them that you're going to beam out in five minutes from the point you arrived at earlier, and then do so. I can keep an eye on Jim the entire time to make sure he doesn't do anything silly." She winked at McCoy.

The captain nodded drunkenly, "Spoken like a true sober person. If Spock were here, he'd probably be you…" He pointed at Vienna, but distracted himself in mid motion by catching one of her golden curls and rubbing it between his index finger and thumb. It was like silk. The woman kissed Jim on the cheek like a mother would a distracted child before steering him in the direction of the Ferris wheel. "Let's go then, I'm worried you're going to pass out on me."

"Wouldn't that be a relief…" Bones grumbled as he followed, feeling perfectly functional when compared to his captain - despite nearly walking into a pole after his first three steps.

The Ferris wheel was one of the largest things in the Carnival, standing at an impressive 600 ft. It had circular platforms with a ring of comfortable looking seats on the outside for the passengers to enjoy. By the looks of it, each platform could carry about eight people.

The operator of the ride was a thin man who reminded Bones of a weasel in a suit. As soon as the three of them approached, he raised a hat and strolled over to Vienna.

"My dear! How good to see you again." His voice was as smooth as butter, instantly making the doctor dislike him; McCoy could sense a salesman a mile away by voice alone, and this man was selling _something_. "Who are your charming friends?"

He looked to the very drunk Captain and the cranky doctor with a bit of a nervous twitch. Jim launched into his regular introduction as if he were hailing a foreign vessel. "I am Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise. We mean you no…" He hiccupped, but this time it sounded like he had to suppress the urge to vomit before continuing, "… harm."

Bones looked from the Captain to the operator with a bemused smirk. "I'm his doctor."

"Then shouldn't you be seeing to… err… his… _illness_?" The man sounded like the type of coward who would get queasy looking at any fluids meant to be inside a body, and not out of it.

"Are you kidding? This is karma at work, and I'm not one to mess with forces beyond my profession." He meant to say that with a serious face, but it was difficult keeping the maniacal grin off his features.

The operator seemed to stare through the both of them as if looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. Bones mentally snickered and reveled in the fact that nothing would save the man now except for a very good steam cleaner. Vienna looked apologetic. "Bernard, they need to contact their ship, but there is too much interference. Do you mind giving us a boost? It will only take a minute… and you can put it on my tab."

Bernard's mouth swallowed air like a fish. Her request made him speechless as he looked to the now queasy Jim Kirk. "_Him_? My beautiful cradles will be ruined by his… upheaval."

"Charge it to me dear."

She took the man's hands in hers and leaned in close to his face. Bernard was no match for those long lashes and pouty lips and soon waved them through, though he did not look pleased.

Jim hopped over to where a platform was waiting and nearly stumbled into it when he didn't see the small steps leading up to the posh flooring. Vienna assisted him into a padded seat like a patient nurse before waving to Doctor McCoy. "We'll be back before you know it."

McCoy leaned against a pole that supported a string of wires that no doubt powered the large machination. "Just don't let him near the edge, even if he needs to regurgitate…!"

Vienna nodded and sat down next to Jim; He was looking like an excited child. The wheel began to turn and Kirk felt his stomach leap up into his throat. Vienna put a hand on his thigh and cocked her head slightly. The lights of the Ferris wheel seemed to shine off her hair like diamonds on a sea of honey. The disco ball effect did nothing to sooth his sudden nausea.

"So Jim, tell me… now that we're _alone_... what are you afraid of?"

Jim laughed at the oddity of the question. The action was strained since he was beginning to feel very sick and he worried the action would make a literal mess of things. "I'm a Captain of a Starship. I don't fear _anything_." Maybe it was his slurring that gave him away, because Vienna didn't buy a word of it.

"You're lying to me Jim… I see it in those eyes of yours."

Her words made him look to the floor of their private capsule. "Vienna, I have hundreds of lives at my fingertips. I have lost handfuls of men to miscalculations as well as my own tendency to get into trouble no matter how harmless a mission seems to be…"

The woman's face drank in the information with an eagerness that made Jim's smile twitch. "Yet, I wouldn't call that _fear_. Fear is only of the _unknown_… and I _know_ death, Vienna." The seriousness that crept into his voice noticeably stunned the Doll, and she tried to comprehend a way to get him to elaborate. Jim gave a cocky smirk in response and changed the subject. "I bet you thought I was just some sailor coming to harbor; all smiles and stripes, looking for a girl to make him feel alive…"

His hazel eyes were smoldering, and for once Vienna was caught in someone else's net. "But…" Jim put his hand over hers and leaned in close, "I _always_ feel alive Vienna. I'm looking for a girl to make me feel like I've died..." His lips hovered over hers, "… and gone to heaven."

The moment was too much for her. She froze and refused to look him in the eye.

"McCoy was right… that breath of yours is something amazing…" Vienna pulled back, a reddish tint to her cheeks. "We're near the top; you probably should ready your communicator…"

Jim looked up and his eyes widened. They were only a few meters from the inner surface of the bubble that separated them from the suffocating depths of Pacifica's ocean. Phosphorescing figures darted in the water like fireflies, making the Captain think of home. The lights of the Ferris wheel illuminated a few meters of the inky blackness, and Jim swore he saw a Selkie, one of the native species on the planet, staring back at him when they reached the top.

"Jim, the message?"

Kirk tore his eyes away and flipped the communicator open. "Captain Kirk to the Enterprise."

Immediately a clear response came through. "Captain, this is Ensign Phillips from communications. I read you loud and clear."

"Ensign, tell Mr. Scott that there will be two to beam aboard in ten minutes at the co-ordinates we used to first beam down. Copy that?"

"Copy. I'm to tell Mr. Scott, two to beam back in ten minutes at the old co-ordinates." The voice sounded a little uncertain, making Kirk wish that Uhura was the one at her station. "Good. Has anyone seen Mr. Spock?"

The signal started to wane was they descended. "He hasn't been - bridge for the last six hour – he was cle- board a little more then an hour ago. I think we're breaking up… -tain."

Jim looked at his communicator as static re-emerged. He frowned. "Strange… the closer to the Carnival we get, the more it's effected. I wonder if it's the water or if it's whatever the place was built on." He placed the device in his pocket before staring at Vienna. "So… where were we?"

"Talking about your fears."

Jim shook his head. "Can't tell all the pretty faces I see my weaknesses. I have this annoying trend of attracting the ones that want to kill me." His hiccups were wearing off, but the urge to vomit was still there.

"I thought you trusted me…" Vienna looked hurt by his comment. "I thought your friend Spock was the paranoid one out of the lot of you."

"Spock is never paranoid. He is careful… meticulous even, but _never_ paranoid." Jim took a deep breath to steady his stomach then went to stand. The vertigo nearly made him topple over. "Here I was thinking I'd be getting more sober!" He laughed like a giddy teenager, "Shoulda known…"

The platform came back to the ground and Vienna assisted the Captain out of the capsule. Bernard looked relieved to find that it was vomit free. Kirk patted the man on the back, "Thanks for the ride Bernard, I owe you one." He wobbled down the steps to the pole they left Bones by, but Jim stopped in mid-stride. His heart seemed to sink into his churning stomach as he realized no one was there.

McCoy was missing.

* * *

**Authors Note**:

I apologize ahead of time for the terrible proof reading. I keep messing with this chapter, and I decided just to put the sucker up and hope for the best. I was having fun writing for Kirk. As much as I adore Spock, I can relate to Kirk easier. He's my least favorite out of the trio, but if I had to compare myself to any of them... I'm definately a Kirk.

On the suject of the story. Both Spock AND McCoy are "missing". What is drunken Kirk going to do now? Next chapter is going to be interesting. A lot of questions will be answered, and maybe some dolls will get what they deserve.

Please review. I'm a sad panda and dependant on your little rays of sunchine.

EDIT: Forgot to mention. Pairings for this story are up to reviewers. Lack of pairings too as well as _"please for the love of god not 'blank/blank'_". I've set it up any which way and now I'm not sure which way to lean.


	6. Chapter Five: Blood & Haunted Houses

**Carnival**

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_Chapter Five_

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Blood and Haunted Houses

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* * *

The ability to hear came back to Spock first. From the hum of the ship's engines, he knew instinctively where he was on the Enterprise and opened his eyes without hesitation. Spock let his irises adjust before attempting to move off of his bunk. Many years had passed since he'd been the victim of a Vulcan nerve pinch and he'd nearly forgotten the horrors it unleashed on a person's anatomy. His skin was on fire due to thousands of nerve cells firing a flood of electrochemical signals to his brain - a painful biological systems check that Terrans liked to dub '_pins and needles_'. His head was throbbing as well, but he felt no need to fetch a sensory block for the pain - there were more pressing issues at hand.

Spock sat up and looked around; T'Lai was no where to be found. The urge to panic was quickly suppressed. He needed to alert the Captain of his findings and fast. Spock flew to his feet, stumbling slightly as his muscles jump started while he made his way to the computer.

The Vulcan took one glance at the screen and didn't bother to refer to it again. Of course T'Lai eliminated the evidence of their discussion... it was only wishful thinking that made him look to the computer in the first place. Spock would have to retrieve the file she deleted later, after he assessed what other tasks she managed to accomplish during the time he was unconscious. His eyes flickered to the chronometer on his desk and immediately caused him to rush out the door.

He had been out of commission for five hours. The Captain and the Doctor were sure to notice that he failed to meet them at the saloon - unless T'Lai deceived them into thinking he was not returning. That would be logical, not to mention a simple task considering they had been consuming ethanol based beverages and Spock had been expressing his dislike of the planet since their arrival. Spock wondered if Zira tailored this plot around these facts. Everything seemed to fit _too_ perfectly.

The Science Officer jogged to the Transporter Room to find Scotty at the console. The engineer was looking ready to energize the platform.

"Mr. Scott, I require immediate use of the Transporter."

"Just a moment Commander, I got two te beam aboard." He toggled the dials to activate the transportation sequence, moving as efficiently as possible now that he had an audience. Spock wondered why the Engineer hadn't waited for a confirmation from the other side before commencing – as was standard procedure for any transfer - but Spock was distracted from his mental inquiry as soon as he recognized the figures appearing before him.

"Jim!" Spock stepped forward, relieved that his captain was unharmed in his absence; but Jim held up a partly materialized hand of warning. As soon as all his atoms were in the right place he keeled over and threw up on the transporter. Vienna winced and picked up her skirts, "Better out then in I suppose…"

Spock's head snapped in the direction of the woman who just arrived beside his Captain. "I order you to leave this vessel at once. " He inclined his head towards the Engineer at the console, not willing to take his eyes off of Vienna for more then a second. "Mr. Scott, prepare to transport this woman back to the co-ordinates you received her from."

Jim looked to his second in command with confusion, "S-Spock…?"

"I cannae do it Commander… the Captain is still on the transporter…"

Spock approached Jim and grabbed him by the shoulders. He was going to guide him off of the platform when Jim grabbed his arms and tried to resist. "McCoy… Spock, I can't find McCoy and I couldn't find _you_. "

Vienna went to set a hand on the Captain, but a glare darker then anything the woman imagined made her recoil in fright. The Vulcan stood to his full height and addressed the Doll with a tone of deepest disgust. "You are behind this."

The woman tried to regain her composure. She wasn't used to intimidation - especially from a Vulcan. "I assure you! I was with the Captain the entire night… I was even with him when the doctor disappeared!" She never expected Mr. Spock could be so terrifying.

"Not _you_. The ringleader of_ more_ then just a circus of nightmares. I am referring to the woman who sees through your eyes and hears through your ears - Madame Zira."

There was an awkward silence following Spock's words, in which the Captain cleared his throat. Either his First Officer was mad, or there was something going on beyond his comprehension. Scotty went to the intercom and ordered a security team to the Transporter Room. However, he didn't know who required the attention as of yet; Spock's theories were usually sound, but this time his accusation was a tad far-fetched.

Vienna adopted the look of an innocent victim. "Mr. Spock… I mean you no harm. Whatever T'Lai has done to make you so upset, I'm certain she didn't mean it."

Her sentence was punctuated by Kirk emptying his stomach contents yet again.

"_Maybe I shouldn't have gone on that ride…_" He mumbled quietly as he wiped his mouth. No one heard him as he made to stand next to Spock. His legs were trembling from dehydration and his skin took on a sickly sheen. "Spock… we need to find M-McCoy. Vienna isn't guilty of anything we can prove…"

"You need to lie down Captain. You are unfit to search for the Doctor. With your permission I will assume command and deal with the present situation."

Kirk leaned against Spock, feeling absolutely wretched. "Spock… I left him behind. I need to go back and get him. You _know_ I leave no man behind…"

Vienna looked from Kirk to Mr. Spock before suggesting, "I can stay and keep the Captain company while _you_ go look for Doctor McCoy." The sweetness in her voice made a shiver creep up the Science Officer's spine. He felt like he was in a particularly complex stalemate. He technically couldn't declare Jim unwell to command without verification of the senior medical officer - who happened to be missing. He could only acquire it if Jim himself offered it, and the drunkard seemed too stubborn to do so. Plus, the old standby of knocking him out would count as mutiny… in which Scotty would be there to witness.

A security team entered with phasers drawn. They weren't sure as to what to expect, so they looked at their superior officers with confusion.

Spock swiftly took matters into his own hands. "Captain, I propose you go to your quarters to sleep off your affliction, while Vienna and I search for Doctor McCoy. Scotty can command in our absences." It was the only logical course of action available to him. He would have to personally find the doctor by interrogating Zira through Vienna.

Jim held a hand to his forehead. He felt like he was going to pass out then and there. "Spock… I'm counting on you."

"As usual Captain. Now rest." Spock turned to the security team. "Assist the Captain to his quarters."

The red shirts put away their phasers, took one look at the vomit on the floor, then stared at each other with bewildered expressions. They then took both the captain's arms in their own and gently led them down the hallway. Jim chuckled the entire way, "Boys… not a word of this to McCoy… or he'll have me confined to sickbay till payday. I d-don't know about you… but his potions are s-something awful…"

Spock stepped onto the transporter. "Scotty. Do not let any of the Dolls aboard this ship. Also, the Captain should not return to Pacifica no matter what the circumstances may be. If I fail to return, they will most likely try for him next."

"Why Mr. Spock! You speak as if we mean to hunt you down one by one." Vienna had the nerve to sound insulted.

"Precisely. I am not certain as to the purpose of such an endeavor, but T'Lai has informed me that Madame Zira has a special interest in this crew. McCoy being misplaced is statistically likely to be a factor of her interests, and since you have been assigned to Jim as I assume T'Lai was assigned to me… I can only speculate that I prevented you from harming him as T'Lai has harmed me." He tucked his hands behind his back in a business-like manner. There was a lot of guesswork on his part, but the pieces fit too well to be re-arranged in any other formation. "From this point onward, you are under my strict observation and will assist me in locating Doctor McCoy; if all of what I theorized is correct, you know where he is being held." Spock turned his head and addressed Scotty, "Mr. Scott, we are ready to energize."

Vienna looked incredulous. Scotty was just shaking his head and working the dials like a professional, "What ever yea say Commander… I just hope yea get McCoy back." The transporter hummed to life and Spock nodded. "I will Mr. Scott. I will."

The Carnival swam before Spock's eyes and the music hit his ears hard. He had blissfully forgotten how piercing the tunes were to his sentive hearing. Immediately he reached for his phaser and pointed it at Vienna in case she tried anything; yet Spock found that she was standing perfectly still and waiting obediantly for her his orders. The Vulcan tilted his head slightly, both pleased that she didn't take advantage of the second he was distracted, and suspicious. "Your charade is useless against me, and I know that Zira is in your mind puppeteering this situation. I suggest you tell me where the doctor is so we do not waste valuable time."

Vienna touched a hand absently to her chest. Spock assumed her fingertips were hovering over a ruby like T'Lai's, which allowed her to communicate with the ringleader. She looked at the phaser in Spock's hands intently before pointing her nose in the air like a rich noble. "Follow me then." She turned and started to head towards a shadier portion of the Carnival.

Moving like a ghost through the crowd, Vienna made Spock have to keep close behind her in order to not lose her if she tried to make an escape. Some of the junior crew members still on their leave spotted the pair weaving about and looked on in interest. It was rare to see the Science Officer on his own, especially in the company of women. First it was that Vulcan broad on teh Enterprise, and now it was this golden haired human. Perhaps there was more to their starched alien Science Officer then everyone assumed - or maybe the Captain was rubbing off on him.

Spock hoped that these subordinates would not attempt to distract him from the task at hand.

They both ducked down a small alleyway between two carnival stalls – one smelt of horrid food, while the other was a simple shooting game involving ducks. The hidden path lead to a surreal area surrounded by tall hedges that looked as if it were picked up from one of Earth's story books and transplanted straight into the Theme Park. It was a large house, grey in pallor and run down beyond repair. Windows were broken and a slight breeze – no doubt manufactured from somewhere just for ambience– blew through twin trees whose branches scraped at the dilapidated shutters.

Spock stared at it with a furrowed brow. "The Doctor is _here_?"

Vienna's hands were on her temples and she looked like she was experiencing a headache. "Yes. Though, this is as far as I am able to take you."

"What is this place?" The Vulcan asked, trying to figure out the purpose of having such a worn out building hidden amongst the newly constructed stalls and rides. "It appears ancient, and yet this Carnival is newly constructed. It is a discrepancy which I cannot solve with logic."

The woman laughed, "My people call this a 'Haunted House'. It is supposed to inspire fear"

Spock looked to the house, and then back to Vienna. "I am not afraid."

Vienna walked over to an empty swing that hung from one of the scraggily trees. "No… of course not. This was not what Zira had in mind to scare for _you__._" The smile she gave as she ran her hands down the frayed rope made Spock worry about McCoy and what the woman meant by her statement.

The Vulcan left Vienna by the swing and squared his shoulders in an effort to prepare himself for anything that might attempt to maul him. He walked up the rotting steps cautiously and skirted around some debris from the destroyed porch to access the door. He looked back to see Vienna sitting quietly as if waiting for something. Spock eyed the decayed door with suspicion. This was obviously a trap, and he was going to walk right into it. How illogical.

"Silly little Vulcan. I promise I won't bite until you retrieve Dr. Leonard McCoy."

It was Zira's voice again, this time from Vienna's mouth. The Terran's eyes had gone pure black as if dipped in oil and her grin looked nearly maniacal. Spock started to backtrack towards her slowly, his phaser raised with intent to fire. "Zira. If you have harmed the Doctor in _any way_ you have violated Federation law and will be arrested."

Zira/Vienna seemed disinterested in Spock's show of force. "Every second you waste with me is another second poor Leonard suffers. You have two options before you Mr. Spock; one is to wander into my pretty little house and rescue your friend, the other is to go back to the safety of your ship while dear Leonard dies feeling terrified and alone."

There was only one clear option, and Zira knew it.

"You will answer for your crimes." Spock said simply as he tore himself away from the possessed Terran and quickly re-flew up the steps in order to open the door. Finding McCoy was first on his list of priorities; Zira would come later.

Flecks of white paint came off the entrance as Spock's uniform brushed against it. The creaking of rusty hinges echoed dully around the foyer and was soon stifled in the layers of dust that suffocated all sound. Spock couldn't see the pattern of the carpet through the debris and dirt that seemed to layer everything. During his ten second inspection he noticed large spiders creeping over broken wood and metal that littered the floor. He speculated that they must be the source of the gigantic cobwebs that he was forced to walk through in order to search the house properly.

He entered the kitchen first and raised an eyebrow at the blood writing on the walls. It was fresh and in English characters, yet poorly written. From what Spock could tell it was a name: "Johanna," and it probably belonged to the female Starfleet officer that was disemboweled and hanging out of a cupboard. Upon closer examination, it was actually an ancient earth mechanism called a dishwasher and the Ensign's leg was missing. What caught the majority of Spock's attention was a large pool of vomit nearby that made the Vulcan wonder if the doctor had seen all of this before he did.

Sure enough, when he investigated further, his nose picked up the scent of Brandy from the puddle as well as bloody shoe prints that showed a clear outline of the sanitation patches which were components in the soles of boots worn by medical officers. What he also noticed was the butchered woman's ID card in her hand and the name printed on it. It was "Nancy Clarkson," which didn't explain the significance of the writing on the wall. Perhaps it was a clue that he would have to solve in order to find McCoy.

Spock put the card in his pocket and continued his search. He entered the dining room where two red shirts were sitting at an oak table with their faces ripped off. That made three Starfleet causalities he would have to pin down to Zira when he had the chance.

Spock pulled out his communicator to radio the ship, but as soon as he did so a sudden black and white image of a screaming woman overrode his senses for a split second and made him drop the device in alarm. A hologram of the woman seemed to flicker around the room in strobe light poses of terror that would made any human faint with fright. Spock however, merely assumed it was a hologram and tried to keep his composure - but it was difficult even for a Vulcan.

The security personnel sitting dead at the table were mauled by _something_, and that same something could probably appear and attack him too. The ghost woman flicked millimeters from the Vulcan's face making his eyes widen in distress.

"Won't bite. _Won't bite_!" With those shrieks reverberating off the papered walls, the spirit faded as swiftly as she came.

Spock moved on quickly, now desperate in his search for McCoy. There was no way the doctor could have experienced all of this without psychological consequences. Humans were just too fragile to be exposed to such things and still keep their wits about them. Bones was especially vulnerable if Zira manufactured this atrocity for him in particular.

He tried the living room next to find a trail of blood leading up a set of stairs. Spock took the steps two at a time, not liking the way his boots picked up the blood and smeared it into the white carpet of the upstairs hallway. There were a second set of tracks before his that the Vulcan could only assume belonged to the Doctor; they led into the master bedroom... where he could hear crying.

All other input was tuned out… including the gore that lined the walls and the soft wail of wind through the broken window panes. Spock ran into the room with only the Doctor on his mind.

McCoy was rocking back and forth; in his lap was a young woman with long brown hair and startling blue eyes that stared at nothing. The majority of her body was in bloody pieces and the Doctor was trembling as if experiencing a seizure. Spock was too stunned by the scene to move.

"_Now you see what he sees… but can you feel what he feels?_"

It was Zira's voice, as if whispering directly into his ear.

"_He sees his old home… filled with the dead, his arms… filled with his daughter, his heart… filled with so much horror! But what is REAL?_"

Suddenly there was a noise that reminded Spock of the breaking of a vacuum seal. He felt a disturbance in his mind, but realized it was as if a layer was being peeled off of his vision. Zira allowed him to properly open his eyes and glimpse reality untainted by her influence. There was no girl in McCoy's arms… it was just a mannekin broken into several pieces. Spock looked around the room to see only fake blood and manufactured gore that would hardly fool a child.

"Illusions… all if it."

Zira was more then a Betazoid then. No ordinary telepath - even one with empathic qualities, could do this. This was the mark of a powerful mind.

When the voice didn't answer him, Spock felt anger. It was a fury that even his Vulcan nature couldn't reign in. "Zira! Correct what you have done!"

Laughter echoed around his head, making him feel even more upset. The Vulcan took several deep breaths to calm himself before he approached his friend. "Doctor McCoy." He knelt in front of the troubled man and grabbed his face within his smooth hands. "Doctor, you need to understand that this is an illusion."

Warm tears rolled over Spock's fingers as Bones' eyes seemed to stare right through the Vulcan's head and into the nightmare beyond. He didn't register Spock's presence at all. His azure irises had reduced his pupils to mere pin-pricks, giving him a crazed look that shook Spock to his core.

"Doctor. Please focus on my voice."

"_I can't_… I can't put her back… _together_. _I can't… I can't…_" His voice fluctuated with extreme emotion and Spock felt himself floundering in his attempts to calm him. Bones tried to tear his face from Spock's grip to look back to the manikin in his arms, but the Vulcan held tight and moved it closer to that they were nose to nose. Now the Doctor couldn't avoid the soft brown eyes that bored into his own.

"Leonard. Focus only on what is in front of you."

"Spock… I…" His eyes started to dilate, and the trembling of his body quelled as his voice sounded momentarily stronger. "She's dead Spock. My little girl. There was nothing I could do…"

Spock moved his hands up the man's face, his fingers searching out his psi points with expert precision. "It was a lie doctor. I will show you."

It was the only conclusion he could come to given the present situation. He would have to face the consequences of a mind meld later. It wasn't the first time, and if Jim were present Spock was certain the man would order it.

The bombardment of emotions overwhelmed Spock as he attempted to enter McCoy's mind. Images from a distant past flooded his senses and the Vulcan was forced to gain get his bearings before being able to project what he saw into the man's mind. Bones reacted poorly, not able to take the strain of new input over the horrors his own mind was trying, and failing, to process. His psyche reached its limit and immediately shut down, forcing Spock out.

The Science Officer was riddled with a whole new network of complex feelings for what just happened as he found himself staring at an unconscious doctor now slumped in his lap.

* * *

**Author's Note**:

I was being greedy before submitting this chapter. I wanted to reach 20 reviews. I didn't make it - but 19 is damn close, so here you go. Now we're getting into the darkest parts of the story I was hinting at from the very beginning. When planning this, I was trying to associate classic Theme Park features with evil reflections on Jim, Bones and Spock's deepest nightmares. I picked the Haunted House for Bones since he's always been plagued by his mysterious past; his divorce, his daughter, his sick father... the sense of a broken family just radiates from him. A Haunted House seemed fitting.

Spock's horror is next. His was the first one I designed... since originally he was supposed to go through his trial first but I juggled some things around and he came out second.

Please read and review! I'm hoping to get to 25 reviews... though I know it's a slim chance ;.; If you need a prompt to review, try and guess the Carnival feature poor Spock is going to have to experience! It's not too difficult.


	7. Chapter Six: Smoke & Mirrors

**Carnival**

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_Chapter Six_

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Smoke and Mirrors

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* * *

Spock didn't need to turn around to know who was standing at the doorway to the bedroom. T'Lai's distinct tread and subtle scent engaged his senses, and in response he swung his arm around to point the phaser at her head. There wasn't a moment's hesitation throughout the entire action. The Vulcan woman took several delicate steps forward as she spoke. Her tone was almost coaxing despite the weapon pointed at her head, "He may not be beyond saving. Emotional wounds can heal over t-"

"That does little to sway my opinion of you… _or_ your master for her hand in this." Spock interrupted darkly. His voice was spitting hate with every syllable, and it disgusted him to hear it. He refused to make eye contact with T'Lai, affirming that all conversational formalities were suspended in the wake of Doctor McCoy's psychological assault. There was an immense shame that seemed to coil within Spock for being upset by the state his friend. He couldn't afford to reveal it, especially to another Vulcan, until it subsided.

"What is your purpose here? I warn you now, if you advance beyond a five foot radius of the Doctor, I will not hesitate to stun you."

The words made T'Lai stop and crouch down so that she was level with Spock's back. "You really _are_ emotionally compromised… I did not think it possible." Her voice became more curious as she continued. Her hand reached out to try and touch Spock's shoulder. "Logically it must be the human portion of you screaming out in pro-"

Spock cut T'Lai's statement by stunning her full in the face the moment her fingertips brushed his uniform. The sound of her hitting the floor soothed some of the irritation Spock felt at the situation. He told himself it was because she violated the boundaries he contracted, and not because of his uncontrolled desire for revenge. In truth it was probably the woman's words that were starting to bring out the worst in him.

There was a subtle shake in his outstretched arm and the smell of phaser fire did nothing to help it. Spock dropped the weapon as if burned, then turned back to the body still slumped in his lap. The peace and quiet did not last.

Laughter echoed around the Haunted House and the voice of Zira returned to Spock's ear.

"_You're so fascinating Mr. Spock._"

From the corner of his eye, Spock could see that the illusions were creeping back into place. They were different from the horrors manufactured for the doctor's detriment – darker, more sinister. The walls of the room oozed a black fluid that smelt strongly of tar; it pooled as it hit the ground and began to blossom towards its new victims. To Spock's discomfort, there was another level of sophistication in these horrors that weren't present in the features of the Haunted House. He could _feel _the evil in the approaching darkness - the hunger of its mind.

"_You have no idea how refreshing you are… compared to the simplicity of your friends._"

The Vulcan rose to his feet, the action fluid and masking the sense of panic clawing its way into his thoughts. He pulled McCoy with him, knowing full well that if he had to run the probability of them both surviving would be reduced. The calculations were disregarded because if Jim were here, facts and figures would have no bearing… and that sort of spirit is what the Vulcan needed presently.

Spock closed his eyes and willed himself to focus. The steady breath of the doctor over his shoulder gave the Vulcan something to concentrate with. He could ignore all other audible stimuli and navigate based on his memory alone. Zira's conjured images couldn't reach him if he fine tuned his senses on the things he knew were real from his earlier trek through the house. Blind and selectively deaf, Spock navigated to the doorway and down the hall. Stumbling slightly, he managed to make it down the stairs and back to the living room; but, the physical properties of the house started to change making further progress impossible. His flawless memory was either tampered with, or the house itself was - Spock could not be certain.

To get his bearings, Spock needed to open his eyes. When he did so, he quickly concluded that he wasn't in the Haunted House anymore.

Instead of the horrific props, Spock was greeted with a room full of glittering mirrors. Everywhere he looked there was another Spock staring back at him. Almost desperately, the Vulcan looked behind him to find there was no longer a set of stairs, just more mirrors. This did not bode well for him.

Spock was unnerved; this place was overwhelming his perception. Every move he made was amplified a thousand times over by his two dimensional clones. To counter this, the Vulcan stood very still. Only his eyes shifted while he appraised his new surroundings with apprehension.

All the glass was angled so that Spock couldn't properly discern which spaces provided an exit and which were only reflections. He hypothesized a possible method of navigation by touch, but when he went to implement it, his hand fell through his reflection. Spock realized this was an additional holographic component to the maze, which did not increase his chances of escape. There were scores of possible routes he could take. Would any of them lead to a proper exit?

He would have to try.

Floating above the mirrors was Zira. She sat cross-legged while levitating, and had a smile that seemed to bisect her painted face. Spock had the notion she was like a scientist watching a rat's progress in an experiment. He also speculated that her presence was yet another illusion - he could not prove his theory since he left his phaser in the other room.

"Mr. Spock, welcome to my Hall of Mirrors."

He raised an eyebrow at her greeting. "Thank-you. Where is the exit?"

"Humor Commander? I didn't think you had it in you."

Spock kept his eyebrow where he left it. "So others continue to say, and yet, all that I am… I possess indefinitely. Therefore, I do not understand the merit to your statement. " His voice was his usual even tone now that his anger was replaced with a sense of survivability that was easier to manage.

Zira found his mask of impassiveness frustrating. "You _will_ understand me Mr. Spock; I have no doubt about that. The things we will learn about one another in the hours to come will be extensive, to say the least."

The thousands of Spocks seemed to ripple and change even though the real Spock was hesitant to move a muscle. Some turned into crewmembers of the Enterprise, some turned into family members, some turned into friends and some remained as they were with only minor differences. One Spock was laughing jovially at something a Kirk in the next pane had mimed; another was on his knees clawing at the surface of the mirror in misery. There was one Spock in the throes of ecstasy that made the true Vulcan squirm. Hastily, he tore his eyes away from the image and looked up to Zira. The anxiety in his eyes was very hard to hide.

"Madame Zira, I fail to find reason in these games of yours. You have harmed the senior medical officer of the Enterprise and I can only speculate that you mean to do the same to me. What is your purpose?"

His voice was fluctuating between smooth passiveness and unsteady concern. It was obvious Spock was finding conversation difficult when all around him familiar faces were provoking his clones into expressing all sorts of extreme emotion. He felt sick at every glance he hazarded to make, and he noticed Zira's grin become wider by the moment. She knew how much this would irritate a Vulcan.

Spock stared at his feet in order to formulate a plan. Perhaps if he could keep her talking she might expose a weakness he could manipulate; she seemed arrogant enough to explain her plans. Monologues favored the dramatic - and she was that _and_ a villain to boot. If he prompted her, would she follow his lead?

"You have the appearance of a Betazoid and possess powers that could be likened to their natural abilities. If I assume your race is as I speculated, then your telepathic abilities are above Betazed's standards; in view of that and my previous assumption, does this superiority extend to your empathetic capabilities?" Spock knitted his eyebrows together before meeting Zira's oil-black eyes. He saw some confusion there and reiterated. "What I mean to say is - Do you gain pleasure from experiencing the fear of others?"

Zira tilted her head at an impossible angle. "Clever Vulcan, you are right in one area. I am from Betazed." She stretched her legs and drifted down so that she was floating eye level with Spock. Her reflection did not appear on any of the mirrors - much to Spock's interest. "Yet I am an outcast. Fitting nowhere… judged based upon things that I could not change. I suppose that sounds a little like you Mr. Spock."

The Spocks in the mirrors became more frenzied. The range of expressions he saw flit across his clones' faces made the real Spock look away; but everywhere he pointed his eyes, there were the same eyes meeting him. They were filled with hate, adoration, greed, lust, worry, wrath, joy... _pure emotion, _and it made him cringe. He couldn't take his eyes off of himself; it was like watching a shipwreck over and over and over again…

"Half-_human_." Zira said in a hiss. "You feel that part of you and you overcompensate. You fail at hiding your humanity and you know it."

Her words shouldn't have hurt so much; others have told him similar statements in the past and he shook them off like water. Why was there a part of his psych that suddenly felt violated? None of this was real. She was using the anger he felt at McCoy's condition and trying to expose it. If he didn't reign himself in, he'd be like his mirror counterpart screaming in fury.

He needed to distract himself. He needed to keep her talking. He needed to get out of there…

"I do not understand your earlier comparison. How am I like you? I doubt you are a half-breed. You have far too much power." His voice was strained. Spock could hear himself laughing. _Laughing…_

Zira took his bait. "I was not like the others. A small percentage of my race is born with superior telepathic abilities. They struggle to block out the thoughts and minds of everyone around them. They are feared and hated for knowing too much." Her voice took on a bitter tone and her black eyes glazed over as if remembering the distant past. "I would have given _anything_ to be one of _those_ outsiders, rather then what I was."

During her tirade, Spock noticed that there were no new developments regarding her illusions. He could concentrate while she was speaking, for she was too focused on revealing her life story to keep him occupied. He used it to regain his composure.

"I was born with the inability to conceal my thoughts - the opposite struggle of my talented peers. It was more difficult for me to handle. I was alone. Every Betazoid in my proximity knew my deepest desires, my most precious secrets." Her fists tightened and she continued, "Imagine not being able to with withhold your most carnal yearnings from everyone close enough to touch."

Spock's brow furrowed, "That is indeed a frightening thought. No one could withstand a being that broadcasts every negative aspect they try to hide." He looked up to the woman with curiosity. "You would also be a liability. Anything you retain in your memory would be instantly expelled into strangers until you learned to control yourself."

"I did. But by that time I was already a monster. They exiled me. I was young, I was afraid. It took years, but I found people who could stand me long enough to take me to someone who could train me. Do not be mistaken, it wasn't out of kindness. In the end I killed them because of what I could see in their souls. I developed my powers on my own after that; turned my curse into something to be feared. I could peer into the hearts of the masses and project their deepest desires right back into their minds. I built this park. I attracted many. I make them feel my fear."

"I assure you, fear is something not easily felt by a Vulcan." Spock didn't know why he said it. It was a challenge that he would regret in the future.

"You are _half_-Vulcan Spock. You cannot hide your insecurities from me." Zira dropped to the ground with a subtle thud before the Spock reflections shimmered into what they were supposed to be – mere images of the Vulcan before them.

"I've noticed you try to avoid my projections by closing your pretty brown eyes Mr. Spock. Now that our discussion is at an end, I think I'll show you what I'm _really_ capable of." She snapped her fingers and from the depths of the maze came Captain Kirk – a false Kirk from what Spock could tell. The Vulcan took a step back and set the doctor down on the floor, anticipating action.

"I assume that this illusion is physical in nature and will now attempt to engage me in combat?"

Zira grimaced, "You know… I thought you'd be more entertaining, but I'm just finding you and your small talk aggravating."

"I'll take your sentiments as flattery."

"You would." She gestured forward with an air of finality and Kirk charged.

Spock dashed to the right, afraid that the man might be able to overpower him and perhaps crush the doctor in the endeavor. The move made him open to Kirk on that side, and the clone took the opportunity presented to body check the Vulcan into a mirror. It fractured under the pressure in a neat web-like pattern. Spock was shocked at the pain. This illusion was very much like the real James. T. Kirk in so far as the man knew where to strike to get the desired effect - as much pain as possible.

Yet Spock was stronger, and he easy threw the captain off of him while earning some distance between them. They began to circle each other like animals. Kirk's eyes blazed like fire while Spock's cold and calculative gaze assessed the situation and came to only one conclusion.

They stopped moving momentarily before leaping at one another with their hands outstretched. Kirk punched Spock in the jaw while the Vulcan countered with a nerve pinch.

The clone went down like a sack of potatoes and Spock rubbed his lower cheek tenderly. With haste he crept up to his fallen opponent and looked him over to make sure that he wasn't going to be getting up any time soon. He wasn't. There was something about the easiness of the fight which bothered the Vulcan and he looked to where Zira was standing earlier. He expected to find her infuriated that her champion had been thwarted; instead, she was gone.

That was when a sense of dread chilled Spock's blood and he twisted around to locate where he left the doctor.

Standing next McCoy, with a long laser rifle pressed against his forehead, was Madame Zira. Her red lipped smile radiated smugness and her eyes took in the terror that flooded Spock's system. She relished the new found control she had over the Vulcan.

"My illusions would never be very effective against a Vulcan. We both knew that Mr. Spock. I could make you uncomfortable… but scared? No. Not entirely." The rifle hummed to life as her fingers set the energy level of her next blast. Spock noted it was enough to not only kill McCoy, but make him a grave at the same time.

"For that I'd need a piece of reality… something you knew wasn't _just in your head_." She nudged the sleeping doctor with her heeled foot. "And you let me at it you silly Vulcan!"

Spock's brain was trying to come up with a way of saving McCoy, but with her rifle to McCoy's head he couldn't move for fear she'd kill him.

"You have me sufficiently frightened Zira." It was no lie. "To my knowledge you haven't murdered anyone yet, if you keep your violations to only psychological harm, then your punishment will be less severe. Remove the weapon from Dr. McCoy's head."

"Are you pleading Spock?" Her fingers wound around the trigger and Spock's eyes widened.

Zira smiled as she absorbed the emotions radiating from her victim. She was high on the Vulcan's intense feelings and hungry for more. Spock suddenly knew she was going to drag out this for as long as she could.

"I'll make you a deal. I won't pull the trigger for two whole minutes, and if you can wrest this rifle from my hands before the time is up, Dr. Leonard McCoy will live."

Immediately Spock went to rush towards the woman, but he ran straight into a mirror. Flat on his back and momentarily confused, he shook off the impact and turned around to assess Zira's true location. Her figure was in every pane, shown in a plethora of angles. The Vulcan ran along the walls, his hands streaking across the metal to avoid another collision. He slipped into the gaps that led down other halls, but he couldn't tell if he was getting closer or further away. The only plan he had was to cover as much ground as possible. Spock was quickly frustrated.

"There's no logic to this…" He mumbled to himself; his voice was shaking even in self directed whispers. The Vulcan rotated on the spot in an attempt to find a corridor he hadn't explored yet, but there was nothing wholly unfamiliar to his eyes. Time was running out. The image of Zira was still standing over the Doctor, her finger applying more pressure to the trigger by the second.

Spock broke out into a run - now no longer concerned if he ran into a mirror or not. As the seconds ticked away he began to turn his sprints into charges which shattered the glass he happened to run into. The results made the area less disorientating for there were fewer angles to negotiate with. He began to punch and kick any vertical surface he could find. It didn't matter that with every strike there came an emotional upheaval that would shame his people – he was getting closer and that was all he wanted. The shards bit into his skin, but still Spock didn't care; every destroyed mirror was one less Zira pointing a gun at his friend.

"Time has run out Spock."

"No…" The Vulcan called out as he pushed himself through a broken pane and into an area littered with glittering fragments of glass. In the center of it stood the true villain and victim, poised to kill and be killed. He was seconds away.

The moment slowed down as Spock locked onto Zira's eyes. There was triumph written all over her, the kill was when she'd get her climax. Spock was filled with absolute fear as the sound of the blast powering up met his sensitive ears. He bolted into a loping charge to try and knock the gun away, but the laser shot true before his first foot fall fell.

McCoy shivered as the energy overrode his brain and snuffed the life out of every cell in his body. The ground absorbed the leftover energy and sent slivers of discarded glass into the air for a few seconds. They glittered to the floor again in absolute silence as Spock absorbed the magnitude of what just happened.

His eyes glazed over and something deep within him snapped. The Vulcan howled and leapt at Zira's throat. Ancient primal urges that his people had buried for centuries suddenly burst forth from his mouth in a shout of rage that could make a Kling-on's death rattle sound like a lullaby.

Zira's eyes widened as the Vulcan's hands enveloped her neck and the force of his body hitting hers sent them both to the floor. They hit hard, but Zira took most the damage as her back picked up pieces of glass littering the ground; they grated her skin like cheese. She choked pitifully as Spock crushed her windpipe and drove her head into the ground. It only took her seconds to die from the strength of his alien grip.

"_Oh Spock… how could you do this to me…?_"

The words in his ear chilled his blood. They were said through a sweet, but unseen smile. Spock sensed that something had gone tremendously wrong; but before he could evaluate, the familiar feeling of something being peeled from his vision returned and Zira's illusions fell away. Before him was not the mangled body of Madame Zira - it was T'Lai.

He had killed a fellow Vulcan.

Spock stared at his bleeding hands, then to the woman he just murdered. He was filled with so much hate and disgust… so much negativity towards himself and others. McCoy was dead... and he had killed one of his kin unintentionally. Spock grabbed his face and tried to calm himself, but every time he retreated into his mind he found a monster there… waiting.

In his breakdown he failed to hear the soft tread of heeled shoes approaching from behind. If he had, he could have probably stopped the real Zira from setting a hand upon his head and warping his thoughts into visions of nothingness.

* * *

**Author's Notes**:

I am SHOCKED at the amount of reviews I suddenly accumulated. All of you make me feel extremely appreciated, so I thank you from the bottom of my sinister heart. I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. It's a little late since it was Canada Day and my friend's birthday the day after... so I haven't been sober in 48 hours. I'm also in a competition to see who can be a vegetarian the longest. My boyfriend and I were arguing who had the most willpower and he brought up that he could go without meat indefinitely since Paul McCartney is a vegetarian; I countered that Vulcans were vegetarian. So using our respective heros we could test whose willpower (and fandom) was stronger.

I think this ordeal would be easier with a replicator.

Also, I'm surprised at how many people correctly guessed the Hall of Mirrors! It made sense in my brain, so I was glad it did in others as well. I don't think I used that feature to it's utmost potential. The next horror is going to be Kirk's of course. Every time I think about it I smirk. It's also very predictable... and amusing. Guess if you dare!


	8. Chapter Seven: Saviors & Swans

**Carnival**

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_Chapter Seven  
_

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Saviors and Swans

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* * *

First thing Jim felt upon waking was the drool that managed to seep into his pillow as he slept. Half-conscious he rubbed the moisture from his face and sat up as though rising from the grave. Jim rubbed his eyes with some difficulty before realizing he must have been drinking heavily last night. Usually he was bright eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning due to his Starfleet training; but his body was having trouble cooperating with him after the trauma he put his various systems through.

Groggily the Captain rolled out of his bunk and headed to the small bathroom attached to his quarters. He then immediately brushed his teeth to get the taste of bile out of his mouth. The problems he must have caused for the janitorial staff last night was going to earn him a few dirty looks in the hall. Jim looked into the mirror to see if he managed to get any vomit in his hair. Apparently he wasn't _that_ drunk then, since he didn't find any traces there. He looked instead to the wrinkles around his eyes that had been starting to appear there over the last few years. With a sigh he told himself that it would give him some sort of sage-like appeal; after all, Bones was pretty good looking for his age and still attracted attention - even if he said he didn't want it. On the subject of his doctor, Jim peeled off his dirty clothing and stepped into the shower in order to properly review the events that transpired up until this point.

Jim brought up the facts regarding Bones' disappearance. He had no basis for panic, since Zira and her Dolls had been more then hospitable to him and his crew. There was the discomfort Spock had been radiating for the majority of his time on Pacifica; though Jim thought it was just the noise and the chaos at the time... there was the way his First Officer looked at Vienna last night changed that opinion. The Vulcan was suspicious of the woman – and Spock had every right to be when he was one of the well-educated officers on the subject of Jim's luck with the ladies. Jim wouldn't be surprised if Spock calculated the probability of the girl killing him in his sleep. They both knew Vienna wasn't everything she seemed to be, but to James. T. Kirk that was all a part of the allure.

"Bridge to Captain Kirk."

Jim turned around and stumbled out of the shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist as he wandered to the intercom and responded to Uhura's call. "Captain Kirk here, what is the problem Lieutenant?" He was eager to hear if Spock returned, though part of him knew that the bad feeling currently creeping through his gut probably meant that Spock didn't.

"Captain, it's been six hours since Commander Spock left to search for Dr. McCoy. Scotty sent out a recall on the Gamma group to see if anyone else has gone missing. They were all accounted for. Lieutenant Freeman interviewed all of them to see if they had any information on where Spock or McCoy went."

"Good work. Did any of them have something to say?" Kirk quickly donned a fresh uniform and pulled on his boots as he spoke.

Uhura's voice dropped in tone. Jim had a sinking suspicion that her following words were going to be something he did not want to hear. "Apparently a few of them spotted Spock, but it was only a few minutes after he beamed down. He was with a human woman, but no one knows where he was heading."

The Captain rubbed his forehead. Now doubt was edging its way into his thoughts. This wasn't something as simple as Bones going on a private venture… especially if Spock hadn't contacted the bridge in hours. Jim was forced to assume that his best friends were kidnapped - or worse. Nothing less would have prevented his First Officer from following procedure.

Kirk left his room and headed for the transporter. He was going to fetch his friends and sort this whole thing out even if he had to stop the Carnival to do it. Deep down he knew there was going to be more to this ordeal then just waltzing in there with a scowl and a phaser, but cowboy diplomacy was the only tool currently at his disposal. Everyone knew he wasn't known for being the brains of the operation – Spock was. Once he found his sidekick then something more efficient could be worked out.

The captain entered the Transporter Room with his usual strut of confidence, making the Ensign at the console stiffen into attention. Jim waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Prepare to transport to co-ordinates 372-1-mark-600"

The Ensign looked hesitant, but Jim ignored it and jumped up on the transporter pad. When the red-shirt made no move to input the coordinates, the Captain tilted his head slightly. This stare down made the officer look to his panel guiltily.

"Ensign, did you hear me?"

"Yes Captain." His voice was full of tension. Jim was wondering if he was going to have to order this guy to sickbay. He made his voice a little less terse just in case, "Then why are you not doing your job?"

"Sir, acting Captain Scott was ordered by Commander Spock to not allow you to transport down to Pacifica. He said that there was a high probability of danger."

Jim let out a very short sigh and stepped off the transporter. He approached the Ensign like an instructor at the academy might approach a particularly brainless cadet. "Firstly, I am Captain of this ship; therefore, my orders supersede that of anyone else on this vessel… including both Commander Spock and Lieutenant Scott. Secondly… there _is _danger down there - that's why I'm going." The Captain input the co-ordinates himself and powered up the transporter. "Tell Scotty to continue keeping my seat warm for me, I'll be back with my Science Officer and Physician before the day is out. Energize."

The Ensign didn't argue further and beamed his superior down to the planet.

.

Kirk materialized in the middle of the Grand Tent. Above him, two Orion girls were rehearsing some sort of suspended dance that required a lot of silk scarves. For a moment he was entranced, but then he heard the soft tread of Vienna from behind him. How she got to him so quickly... Kirk would never know.

"I knew it was a matter of time before you came back down from the heavens." Her words were said with a bit of a purr and Jim wondered if that pleasant smile on her face was meant to lull him into a false sense of security. Well... it was working.

"Two of my most accomplished men are missing Vienna. It's something I can't take lightly. Spock was with you last night, where did you leave him?" He searched her angelic face for any sign of potential deceit.

The woman picked up his intent and rolled her eyes, "I suppose it's too much to ask _not _to be treated as a criminal."

Jim chuckled darkly, "Vienna. I'd be a fool not to suspect you or Madame Zira after everything that's happened. Spock found you out and now he's missing. Bones went missing before that. I could have a dozen Federation Security Teams sweep this place from top to bottom while you and the other Dolls are out of work for a week… or you can lead me to what I want."

Vienna twirled a lock of her golden hair around her dainty finger. "I was planning to anyway. Dr. McCoy and Mr. Spock made terrible guests." She turned her back on the Captain and headed towards the exit with a swing to her hips. The woman glanced seductively over her shoulder when she noticed Kirk didn't immediately follow. "Coming Captain?"

Kirk's gut feelings were telling him that he was just another cow being led to the slaughter house, but he followed Vienna anyway. How many more dangerous situations was he going to walk into before his career was out? Spock could probably hypothesize on that...

Outside everything seemed normal. Under the endless sea it was perpetual night and the effect was starting to make Kirk miss the sun. The crowds buffered the two of them as usual, and on more then one occasion Jim managed to bowl someone over to try and keep up with his guide. He wondered vaguely where Vienna would keep Spock and Bones to prevent then from returning to his ship. His Science officer was known for being able to escape from various cages easily.

When they stopped outside of a particular amusement ride Jim couldn't stifle his skepticism. This was the last place he'd put his two most cynical officers. "You didn't…"

"They'll be waiting for us at the end of the ride. I thought it fitting since you'll be leaving with them to gallivant across the stars and would want one last memory to keep you satisfied till your next Shore leave." She smiled sweetly and took Kirk's hand in hers. "Just the two of us, alone… for a few moments... Please?"

Jim looked to the multitude of hearts and the occasional cherub that decorated the Tunnel of Love, and then back to Vienna. "As tempting as the offer is… you don't honestly expect me to hop in one of those swans, float dreamily into that dark tunnel, and _not_ get shanked by whomever you have waiting in there to ambush me? You really must not think much of me…"

Vienna tugged the Captain over to a tethered wooden boat, which as Kirk pointed out, was shaped elegantly like a swan. It floated as a cloud on top of a shallow pool of water. The current tugged at the craft, attempting to lure it towards the gaping maw of the amusement feature. Jim still refused to jump aboard.

"Honestly, you have a phaser, your ready for anything, there's no other way to get to your friends… just let me have my fun - which does not involve harming you by the way - and I'll give you Spock and McCoy. It's an innocent deal." The woman cocked her head so that her flaxen hair cascaded down her back in soft ringlets. The movement revealed the nakedness of her throat and Jim stared - caught in yet another web. With a sigh, he stepped into the boat before grumbling,

"There's going to be nothing innocent about this trip one way or the other."

* * *

**Author's Notes**:

There were two chapters I planned out that for DAYS had me agonizing over which one to put up first. In the end I decided to throw up my least favorite (and terribly short) so that I could l skip through the boring part of Kirk's ordeal and instead tell it through a different point of view. Next chapter is going to be longer and far more entertaining. Every time I think of this next scene I can't stop laughing... the set-up is too funny. I need to draw it.

Also. I'm still addicted to the song LuvSik by Mozella. I swear SOMEONE needs to make a MV for Spock/Bones out of it... or tell me where I can get a free download of some program that'll let me make one myself. It won't get out of my head...

On another note... what the heck is a Funhouse? I looked it up and it seemed like a cross between a Hall of Mirrors and a Haunted House. So... technically the combo of Bones and Spock's horrors was indeed a Funhouse. _All-things_, your shot in the dark turned out to be correct. Where else would Kirk face his fears then in the tunnel of love?


	9. Chapter Eight: Trust & Hyposprays

**Carnival**

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_Chapter Eight_

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Trust and Tranquilizers

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* * *

It must have been a nightmare; a goddamned figment of his imagination, because there was no way in hell Joanna could have been on Pacifica. Joanna was on Delos IV – a planet located no where near the Carnival. Then how could he explain what the hell just happened?

He was standing by the post Jim and Vienna left him at –well, more like leaning - when he noticed his daughter in the crowd. It was impossibility, yet there she was – no mistaking those baby blues and stubborn face.

Bones left his post and attempted to flag her down, but she seemed to get further and further away from him. Maybe it was a hallucination? He was intoxicated after all, and the lights and noise weren't particularly helpful. He probably looked like an idiot running around half-cocked and swaying in the breeze. Joanna was in her nurse's robes though… how many other girls looked like his Joanna and were training in medicine?

Damn, this was going to be an embarrassing explanation if this _was_ just a drunken mirage.

McCoy caught up to his daughter and turned her around to face him. There was recognition in her eyes and the CMO was baffled. "Jo… what in the world are you doing here?" He was trying desperately to hide the southern drawl that sometimes peeked out with a glass of Brandy.

She shook her arm out of her father's grip and took a few steps back. It was Joanna all right, but why wasn't she speaking? Maybe she smelt the booze off of his breath and was reprimanding him silently. Her mother had the same habit.

Yet her actions threw off McCoy because Joanna suddenly turned and ran away from him, occasionally looking back at his with an impish smile that reminded Bones of when she was a mischievous toddler. Nothing about this encounter was making any sense – it probably wouldn't even if he was_ sober_, but the old fool followed anyway, feeling like he was stepping into a dream.

Joanna led him down a hidden path, and at the end of it was his old house in Georgia. It looked aged and dilapidated. With a scowl Bones wondered if it was his wife that let it fall into a state of disrepair. With a bigger scowl he remembered that it didn't matter since it became _hers_ after the divorce.

The young nurse entered it with a giggle, the door snapping shut behind her. McCoy shook his head. "Now I'm really dreaming… this can't be here… she can't be here… hell, _I_ can't be here." The doctor turned around to leave before he became too entranced by this delusion, but the scream he heard behind him chilled his blood.

Of course it was Joanna.

"Aw hell…"

McCoy swore and dashed in the house. He knew that scream; even the most abominable father couldn't have mistaken it for any other child's. If this was some stupid nightmare, he couldn't just leave her - his conscious wouldn't allow it.

He skipped the foyer and entered the kitchen at a run. Doing so nearly got himself gutted on an ill-placed counter top that he didn't remember being part of _his_ kitchen. The bloody words on the walls weren't part of his memory either, but the name was an intricate part of his everyday thoughts.

What was his little girl's name doing smeared on the walls…? He looked around for an answer, then the dismembered woman locked into his vision and he fell to the floor in a dead faint.

When he came to seconds later, he found himself staring into the lifeless eyes of the woman in the dishwasher. Immediately he scrambled to get away, managing to back into a cupboard with a dull thud. A knife slipped off the counter top above him and embedded itself in the linoleum by his boot. All the stimuli bombarding him made Bones throw up in fear and disgust. If his daughter's name was written on the walls, would he eventually find her like this?

McCoy pulled himself off of the floor and wiped his mouth. With vigor he bolted into the dining room and took one look at the two bodies at the table before he kept on running into the living room. He had no clue where he was running to, or even what he was running _through_, but every survival instinct in his body was telling him to _just keep moving_. All sorts of horrible visions attacked him with every door he opened. The doctor began to panic and shake, but every movement ceased when he made his way to the master bedroom and found his Joanna lying there.

He heard himself say her name, but the high-pitched whine that came forth was foreign and strange. It was like Bones was in some sub-set of reality where every detail was skewed, including the state of his daughter. _Pieces_ was the immediate word that came to mind, followed by _mess_ and _oh-my-god-that's-my-baby_.

There was blood. By god there was more blood _out_ than in. McCoy knew that meant death, but his brain wasn't letting himself believe it. No, he was a doctor, he could fix this. He _had_ to fix this.

He gathered up the pieces in his arms and just stared at them.

And stared.

"I… I can't…. I can't put her back together…. _I can't_…" The realization that there was nothing in his power to bring her back slipped into his mind like an insult. He was useless. He was always so damned _useless_.

"_Leonard. Focus only on what is in front of you._"

That voice. It seemed to come from right in front of him, but there was no one there. It was calm and collected, therefore, it could only belong to one pointy-eared, green-blooded bastard he knew. What was _he_ doing here? There was a chopped up woman in his arms for god's sake! His precious daughter…. _dismembered_….

"She's dead Spock. My little girl. There was nothing I could do…"

He felt the intense chill of Spock's hands on his face - even though he couldn't see them. There was a slight tremble in the Vulcan's fingers that for some reason soothed the doctor more than the initial touch. Spock's fingertips slowly crept up his face, and McCoy knew what the man was trying to do. He wanted to resist - to keep Spock out at any cost. This horrible situation put him into a state that Bones would never have let Spock see - had he the choice. The more human frailties Bones showed, the more Spock would retreat into his Vulcan side and put up those walls no one could climb. It wasn't worth it.

"It was a lie doctor, let me show you."

McCoy yearned to scream in protest, but he could already feel his mind being penetrated by Spock. It was such a terrible feeling of disorientation that Bones became lost in the push and pull of emotion. There was his own fear and sorrow that he understood very well; but intermixed was an unfamiliar blend of worry and concern that dominated over anything he could throw at it. It blanketed him, but did not suffocate. It was as if someone embraced him in a tight, never ending hold… and then told him everything was going to be all right.

The doctor melted into that feeling and let all the fear and hurt slip away into the vast sea of tranquility Spock offered.

Bones told himself that if he ever woke up, he'd never insult Spock's bedside manner again.

.

After experiencing his own personal hell, the doctor woke up feeling much better than he originally thought he would. There was a well of calmness and clarity that soothed the trauma and helped him focus on his current state, rather then the one he left behind. If he didn't know any better, McCoy would have thought he became a fraction more logical in his thinking. The entire Joanna fiasco could not have been real; Spock expressed that much to him through whatever Vulcan voodoo he managed to pull off.

McCoy slowly opened his eyes, and took in his surroundings. At once he wondered how he managed to land himself in such a bizarre turn of events – again.

He was sitting in a large swan, floating in the middle of some gaudy tunnel. If that wasn't silly enough, the place was filled with murals of various lovers doing strange and erotic things. His ears went slightly pink as he discovered that wasn't the only thing odd about his new predicament. Bones was chained to the bird-like boat through a large loop embedded in the base of the white floorboard; the chain continued through the loop to an unconscious and bloody Spock. The Vulcan was currently sprawled half on the seat, half on the ground. His shirt was torn Kirk-style, but in the midst of his hairy chest was a fist sized ruby implanted in his sternum.

"My god man…" Bones uttered under his breath as he struggled to pull Spock into a sitting position and evaluate what the hell happened. It was as if someone super-heated the jewel and melted it into the Vulcan's flesh and bone. The skin peeled away from the area cleanly, but it still wasn't a pretty sight.

Using his dermal regenerator, McCoy stopped the bleeding and cleaned the wound up a little. While doing so, he discovered that the gem seemed to have attached itself to Spock's nervous system and was glowing from the bio-electric energy in Spock's body.

The doctor stared at the gem with a mystified expression before deciding that it was best to wake up the Science Officer and ask him what the devil was going on; after all, it was probably some stupid stunt of _his_ that resulted in them in the middle of the most embarrassing place on Pacifica.

Bones pulled out a hypo-spray with some adrenaline and injected it into Spock's carotid artery. Immediately the Vulcan began to stir.

First Spock touched a hand to his chest with a sleepy frown, and then he opened his eyes and stared at McCoy as though he were hallucinating. A very small smile played across the normally passive face of the Vulcan, making Bones wonder if there was some head trauma he didn't find in his earlier scan.

"You all right Spock?"

The Vulcan's momentary visit to the world of human expression diminished in an instant, and Spock looked around at their surroundings with scientific interest. The murals on the walls only held his gaze for a few seconds before he disregarded their presence and kept is eyes within the boat. "I believe I am functioning adequately, though I'm contaminated by the enemy." He stared awkwardly at the ruby gently pulsating a few inches beneath his chin.

"Spock, what in tarnation is going on? I remember..."

Spock interrupted Bones' speech by taking a deep breath and driving his fingers into the flesh around the gem. Blood gushed from the self-inflicted wounds and Bones hollered at him in a rather colorful manner before diving on top of him to try and physically stop him. Spock was stronger however, and considered the doctor's pitiful attempts to wrest his own hands away from the ruby slightly amusing.

"Are you out of your Vulcan mind! You're going to kill yourself you stupid, stubborn, son-of-a-!"

Spock let out a yelp as what appeared to be a bolt of red energy leapt from the crystal and into his hands. The energy rendered his muscles useless and Bones was thrown from Spock as soon at the Vulcan's hand went limp since the force the doctor was exerting on the Vulcan suddenly back lashed. He muttered obscenities under his breath while he righted himself and brandished an empty hypo-spray. "Do that again and I'll hypo you into next week!" He fumbled for the dermal regenerator again to patch the new wound Spock created.

"That is an impossible threat doctor; lest you have some method of time-travel I am unaware of." Spock massaged life back into his limbs and frowned at his inability to wrench the foreign object from his chest.

"Just… stop talking you masochist. You're worse then Jim when he's all riled up."

"I assure you, I took no sexual gratification in attempting to remove this artifact from my person."

"I didn't- I was- It- It's a _saying_ you green-blooded hobgoblin!"

"Your insults become less amusing the more they are used, doctor. This is an important factor of Terran humor that you cannot seem to grasp."

"Dammit Spock! I'm not here to amuse you!" Bones pulled out a hypospray with enough anesthetic to knock out a Klingon in full blood rage. "See this? If you keep yapping it's going right in your jugular." He waved it in Spock's face.

The Vulcan reached up with inhuman reflexes and crushed the object with his usual grace and efficiency. The tranquilizer dripped harmlessly down his arm and the tool toppled to the base of the boat with a conclusive _thunk_.

"We are wasting valuable time bickering when we should be working together to find a solution to our problem." Spock had the nerve to cock a smug eyebrow. When the doctor stared at his dispenser in silent horror, Spock continued his talk by raising his right hand. The chain that connected this hand to Bones' left, tugged noisily at the loop which bound the both of them to the floating swan.

"If both of us attempt to pull at our bonds, perhaps the bolt will loosen."

"Dammit Spock, I'm a doctor not a steroid munching muscle-head." He pulled at the bolt, demonstrating his ineptitude at anything physically strenuous. Spock sat back in his seat as if giving up on escape. If Jim were here, this sort of situation would not be a problem. He put a hand to his brow and Bones swore he saw the man wince.

"Spock, are you sure you're all right?"

"I will be if you cease inquiring about my well-being." There was a definite tone of annoyance in Spock's voice that the doctor was sure did not stem from his mother-henning - well, not _entirely_ from it anyway.

"It's my job to nit-pick you over-grown calculator, and I'm going to keep at it until you stop avoiding the question!"

Spock pursed his lips in an un-Vulcan-like manner, then mirrored McCoy's stubbornness. "Have it your way doctor, it is probably best that you are informed about our circumstances and how dire they are becoming." The Vulcan straightened in his seat and adopted a pose that would be comfortable for a lengthy explanation. "Madame Zira is the one who implanted this device on my person and is currently attempting to weaken my morale through psychological means. She is doing this by broadcasting her thoughts into my own. She states that we cannot escape this tunnel and that the Captain will be along shortly. She also adds that one of us will not be making it back to the ship alive and that it is up to us to determine who that person will be."

Bones' eyes widened. "What?"

"Do you genuinely require me to repeat myself, or are you announcing your disbelief in a vocal manner?"

The doctor just stared at Spock with a look of incredulity. "You mean that Ringmaster woman from before is in your _head_?"

"Affirmative in a manner of speaking. Zira is also responsible for your earlier predicament. She attempted to traumatize us both because, from what I can cogitate, she lives to feel the fear of others. She determines our anxieties by being close enough to read our thoughts or through interrogation through her Dolls - all of which possess one of these crystals." He tapped the gem with some disdain. "Which allows her to see and hear everything they do, and even possess them if she so wishes."

"Why do you have one…? Can she take you over…?" Why didn't their Shore Leave ever go as planned?

Spock closed his eyes as if cringing at a memory - or perhaps something Zira was saying in his mind. "I theorize that Zira is entertained by meddling with my thoughts. I am not in the best of mindsets after the events I witnessed prior to waking. I do not think she can fully take a hold of my body; that would require great effort on her part if I choose to be unwilling, and I assure you… I am unwilling."

Bones didn't want to continue on this subject and asked no further questions. They both sat in silence before a strange noise attracted their attention. It sounded like a waterfall somewhere in front of them, but it was unlikely since they had never moved from their current position and waterfalls were generally believed to be stationary.

"What in blue blazes is that…?"

Spock strained his ears and raised an eyebrow. "… I believe it to be a stampede of some sort heading our way."

"A what!" The doctor stared down the tunnel, trying to discern what was around the bend. Soon girlish screams became audible and both McCoy and Spock stared at each other with confused faces.

Rounding the corner came a drenched James. T. Kirk - his shirt surprisingly intact. He was immersed in water up to his waist and was attempting to wade with all the speed he could muster. Spock speculated that his current pace was co-related to whatever source was supplying the feminine shouting. Bones waved a free hand at him in greeting, but James' face didn't seem to change in expression.

Following close behind came a few figures that both Spock and Bones vaguely remembered from their travels. There was Edith Keeler from the time Bones nearly killed himself with his own hypospray, and Luma the Eymorg from the time Spock's brain was stolen. Other faces included Droxine, Yeoman Jamal and Yeoman Rand. Some women were harder to recall, such as Marta the Orion; also Kirk's old flames Dr. Helen Noel and Miramanee. There was also Deela and Andrea the Android lurking behind that infuriating witch that could turn into a cat. A whole score of others filled the tunnel; some of them were carrying infants and toddlers - a few looked ready to kill.

Spock just stared at the oncoming traffic of splashing women and said, "Fascinating," while Bones pressed a hand to his face in silent horror. They were all the women Kirk had ever had a romantic interest in… and they were nearing the triple digits.

"SPOCK! BONES! Help! They're trying to kill me!"

The Vulcan stiffened and tried to come up with a plan, but came up blank. Bones just stared through his fingers and slowly shook his head in shock. He knew the Captain was a ladies man, but this was ridiculous. He watched as the women began to overtake him and grab at his limbs like they belonged to a celebrity. It made Bones feel ill.

"Damn it Jim, I think you deserve it."

* * *

**Authors Notes**:

I stayed up way too late trying to finish this and have very little time to sleep before work. I won't to get this chapter finished yesterday, but writers block has again plagued me when I thought I would be free. This is one of the few stories I'm certain I can finish... it's just that I'm running out of sweet sweet motivation. I think it's because I'm reading a dry Trek novel. I'll need to find something more interesting. Any suggestions?

I tried to make this a Bones chapter... but he's so hard to write for! I tried to be as crotchety as I could... but the circumstances were difficult and there aren't very many synonyms for 'damn'.

That reminds me. I've noticed a lack of Forum activity and I was wondering if that is because there is not an interest, or because there isn't a good forum? I've set one up in case people (like myself) wish to have a place for casual conversation. There are so many familiar faces and talented writers out there that I thought would be nice to talk to and learn from. Anyone is welcome to 'The Bridge', I'm planning to frequent there if it becomes a small hive.

I also apologize for any mistakes in this chapter or choppy paragraphs... its 4:30am after all. I will edit it ASAP.

We're almost at the end!


	10. Chapter Nine: Heart & Mind

**Carnival**

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_Chapter Nine_

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Heart and Mind

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* * *

When the shape of Miramanee emerged within the shadows of the Tunnel of Love, Kirk leaned forward in his seat and shouted her name. There was disbelief in his voice, but a definite note of joy upon seeing her again. Beside him, Vienna smirked and braced herself for the Captain's inevitable jump from the boat. For someone whom was viewed as complex, his actions could be very predictable. The splash echoed around the painted walls, and to the ill-fortune of the Captain, it had also suppressed the sounds of other women forming from the shadows to join their leader.

Soon Jim was facing more ghosts of his past then he ever remembered having. The delight and tenderness that rose in his heart at seeing the native he fell in love with, turned into confusion as he made contact with Edith Keeler - the woman he couldn't save… and behind her… a woman whose name seemed to escape him for several moments.

The women surrounded him in the water, and the feelings all melted into fear. They weren't looking at him with adoring eyes. No, that was hate - _definitely_ hate.

"Miramanee… Edith… Andrea…" He breathed with a coaxing voice to try to soothe the abhorrence that was radiating from their eyes. When that didn't seem to work, he took a few steps backwards and addressed a different set of faces. "Drusilla…? Miri…?" This was not going well. "_Kanutu…?_"

They advanced, making Kirk pull out his phaser reflexively and become serious. "All right ladies… I don't know how you all got here, or what you want from me… but how about we talk this over nice and easy?"

As if cued, they started to shriek like banshees and rush him. Kirk ducked and flipped a few shapely bodies over his back to cause a scene that he could disappear into. Through the arms and limbs of the massive pile up created, Kirk managed to dive into the shallow water and crawl his way to freedom. The women soon realized that their prize slipped their grasp and they turned as one to face him. The sight nearly made the Captain's knees give out.

"_Oh…. Shi-_"

It was like a bad nightmare. Jim noticed their attention fall back on him and he tried to increase speed, but his drenched uniform was weighing him down. The crowd began to give chase and the captain yelled in angst. He was going to be in a painfully slow chase scene for several long minutes. With some irony, Kirk realized that the stamina that was being used to save him from his own personal hell, was the very thing that created it.

After some intense wading , Kirk came across his missing officers. He didn't even want to fathom why they were chained to one another in a Love Tunnel swan, there would be time for that later. Now all Jim could manage was a weak feeling of gratitude for 'the powers that be' for his friends being safe. He couldn't allow relief to show on his features however, since there was still a very wet mob wishing to tear out his heart fast on his heels. If the situation wasn't so dire, it might have been hot.

"SPOCK! BONES! _Help!_ They're trying to kill me!"

Spock stared at the crowd with passive inquisitiveness. Due to the situation at hand, he was completely unable to aid his captain. There was the option of shouting encouragement, but it wouldn't influence the outcome since he had calculated the relative speeds of Jim and the horde and estimated that the man was going to be overtaken in 6.7 seconds.

Bones on the other hand, looked overwhelmed by the sheer amount of estrogen in the tunnel and shouted what Spock considered the _opposite_ of encouragement. "Damn it Jim, I think you deserve it!"

This comment made Jim want to kick his physician. "I'm serious McCoy-! " He was going to continue his tirade, but Droxine managed to get her skinny arms around his waist just as Marta performed a dexterous cartwheel and wrapped her legs around the Captain's neck. The weight brought him down into the water like a sack of potatoes.

Bones panicked when he saw Jim go under and looked to Spock with desperation in his eyes. "We need to do something! They're going to drown him!"

The Vulcan didn't seem to hear the doctor. Instead Spock was staring at the collection of women flanking the Captain with an intensity normally reserved for the scanner at his station. "Doctor… there is a ninety-nine-point-eight percent chance that those beings attacking the Captain are merely illusions."

That information did nothing to calm the doctor down. "Well that water _ain't_! If we don't help him there's going to be a ninety-nine-point-_whatever_ chance he'll DIE!"

Again Spock remained vigilant for something to intervene in their stead, "No. Your ill-placed sarcasm is incorrect." His voice was lowered as if he were talking to himself. "This is not what Zira wants, she cannot achieve fear if her subject dies. These illusions are for another purpose."

Laughter rolled around Spock's head and he was forced to wince. It seemed that whenever Zira chose to speak inside of his mental barriers it caused a large surge of pain. Such a side-effect was easy to overcome for a Vulcan. Spock only needed to predict when she'd cut into his processes.

"_Almost 'too' clever Mr. Spock. You are right of course… he cannot die, there is still so much more fun to be had._"

Vienna stepped over the writhing females and reached her arm into the water over Kirk's form. She managed to fish out the man's communicator from his belt without a problem. She then retreated a few meters from the Captain before throwing the device back into the water and crushing it with her heel. The more buoyant pieces of the appliance floated to the surface and the woman looked satisfied.

As soon as this action was taken, the mob vanished and Kirk broke through the surface of the water gasping for breath.

Spock wondered if the illusions would have lasted longer if he hadn't seen through Zira's intent so quickly while Bones sat down heavily in his seat and placed a hand over his heart. He wasn't liking this show of Zira's one bit.

Vienna went to help pull Jim back to his feet, but the Captain waved her away and turned to his friends. "You two all right?"

Doctor McCoy couldn't help but smile in relief; at least there was no mistaking this Kirk for the real deal. "You nearly drown and your asking _us _if we're okay? Jim, for a Starship Captain you sure don't have your priorities straight." At his side Spock tucked his hands neatly behind his back, causing the chain that bound them to rattle somewhat. "Though it is rare, I agree with the doctor on his conjecture. I had ordered Mr. Scott to keep you aboard the Enterprise if you sought to try and rescue us. I see you disregarded my advice."

Kirk gave a cocky grin, "I never turn down your advice Spock. You told me there was danger and so I am here ready to face it. Did you really think I'd do otherwise? I'm not letting you two have all the fun." He turned to Vienna, a grin still on his lips. "What do you have to throw at me now? Please don't tell me it's every guy I ever punched… we'll be here all week."

"No…" The Terran woman said lowly, not even cracking a smile. Her large blue eyes were suddenly transfixed by the ruby she found in Spock's chest. "That is T'Lai's crystal." There was no guesswork in her words, she knew this instinctively.

Spock raised an eyebrow, "Indeed. Is this of some concern to you?" As soon as Spock spoke, he felt the presence of Zira being lifted from his mind.

Vienna shivered and brought her hands up to her head as if trying to protect it. When she straightened, it was Zira's signature grin rather then the usual refined countenance of the human facing them. "Of course not. My dolls know what they signed up for." The woman weaved through the water as if enjoying the feel of the current on her borrowed skin. She stopped once she stood between the Captain and his subordinates before giving Kirk a simpering expression that didn't look good coming from the usually elegant blonde.

"So, the Captain has found his friends at last. The finale is at hand."

Kirk rolled his eyes, "Cut the drama. You've violated several regulations that my First Officer will list off-"

"I already have Captain."

Jim looked to Spock, surprised by the interruption. It was as if his First wanted to get this over with as fast as possible. It unnerved Kirk, but he continued, "… so you know what waits for you as soon as we return to the Enterprise."

The Captain went to move towards Spock and Bones, but Vienna/Zira stuck out a hand to stop him.

"No no, there are rules to this game Captain! You see… you can only take one of them back." The ringmaster gestured to the ceiling, and instantly what Jim could only describe as a death ray slowly descended and aimed at Spock. "It's up to you to choose - the Vulcan or the Doctor."

The ray moved with a grinding noise to change targets and point at the doctor. McCoy sucked in a shaky breath and moved closer to Spock.

Jim was not expecting this. His eyes met with his First Officer and instinctively they both knew what the other was thinking.

"I chose the Doctor"

There was a moment of silence that caused even Vienna/Zira to look momentarily taken back by the speed of Kirk's reply. Bones however, was not going to accept the decision no matter how touched he was to hear it.

"Not a snowballs chance in hell!" McCoy looked to Spock then to the Captain. "As much as I'd like to live – and don't get me wrong… I'd _really_ like to live - this is a damn farce! Spock is far more useful to you, especially in this type of situation! I'm an old man, I only have decades left to live while he has what… half a millennia?"

Spock fixed the doctor with a cold stare. "That is incorrect, the average life span of a member of my species is 250, and that is not accounting for my human genetics."

Bones raised his arms in a gesture of frustration, "You know what I mean you knuckle-headed robot!"

Vienna frowned, apparently annoyed at how quickly this stage of her game was progressing. "Is this your final decision?"

"Not it's not!" The doctor answered for him, still indignant at being made into the fragile one yet again. "If Spock's going to be all noble by sacrificing himself to save me – I won't have it!" He crossed his arms and shot Spock a glare. The look didn't last long before it melted into one that was practically pleading with Spock to find any alternative. He did not want to live at the expense of one of his closest friends. No one would.

Spock seemed more irritated at the physicians conduct now that his stubbornness was kicking in. "Doctor. You will do as your Captain orders you to do."

"Not if it's stand by while some psycho pumps you full of god-knows-what!" His voice was starting to adopt the commanding tone which Spock knew was going to cause trouble.

Zira looked quizzically at the both of them before adopting a vacant expression. At this, Spock knew that Zira had pulled out of Vienna's mind and he could only assume where she was heading next. Sure enough, he felt the woman push against his thoughts and sit there like an evil spirit. He vaguely wondered if one of the ringmaster's limitations was only being able to possess one mind at a time.

"_You have already figured out much of my powers. I am starting to really despise you Vulcan." _She probed hard and searched his knowledge for more information. Upon finding his latest discoveries, she let out a screech of anger._ "And you have also learned that my death ray is an illusion! How! You were hoping that the Captain would chose you over the Doctor... whose body would shut down on its own accord if targeted."_ She was acknowledging his thoughts as if reading them from a book. _ "You have encountered similar illusions in the past... and thwarted them thusly. I have underestimated you._" There was no laughter in her thoughts anymore, just a note of cold steel.

"_It is your own errors that guided me to these conclusions. You led me to believe you murdered Dr. McCoy… when he was not an illusion as you pointed out - nor was T'Lai whom you were possessing. By deduction that meant the rifle was the falsity. With that in mind I assessed this ray of yours and in my examination I found your ability to replicate sound limited by the standards of the form you are possessing. For instance, the sound of the glass and the gun in my trial was satisfactory to my Vulcan hearing only when you were in the mind of T'Lai, but now that you are using the Terran as a host, the illusions you are projecting are only enough to fool a human - but not my sensitive ears. This is an oversight that made it easy for me to ascertain your ray is simulated since I do not hear the electricity running through its circuits. Furthermore, the Captain was 98.2% more likely to choose myself over the doctor since he is far more necessary to the Enterprise and if I manage to survive, which is marginally more probable for me since I am superior in anatomy, the doctor would be available to revive me. Finally, the damage sustained to my jaw in my earlier battle with the false Kirk existed only when I assumed that it would. Now that I know better, I have sustained no injury. __This implies I can survive the ray if I know if cannot harm me.__ The puzzle has come together Zira, you cannot win. _"

Spock felt a brief feeling of relief spread throughout his mind – but it was not his own. Doubt chewed at his logic. Zira's ego should be deflating, not swelling with some unknown oversight on his part. His eyes scanned the room as if anticipating the walls to come down or something to come out of the water and swallow them whole.

Bones and Jim were staring at Spock with worried expressions due to the sudden silence of the tunnel. Vienna was still vacant, and Kirk was poised to move in case she tried anything. McCoy was curling and uncurling his fingers nervously. "Spock…?"

"_I have under estimated you, but you have over-estimated yourself. You are clouded by your genius Mr. Spock. Your friends are less predictable to you then they are to me – who can see inside their hearts. One of you _will_ die… and you have forgotten that it doesn't have to be you."_

So she was going to cheat at her own game. The Vulcan looked up just in time to see the mock ray power up and fired a beam directly at his chest. He was confused as to how Zira thought this would effect the others since, like in the OK Corral, he knew it could not harm.

But as Zira stated, he did not anticipate the actions of his friends. With a speed Spock didn't think possible of the old doctor, Bones dived in front of him, determined to save him even though he did not need to be saved.

"NO! You fool!" Spock yelled as he devoted every fiber of his being into getting Bones out of the way. With his gift of lightning calculation Spock knew it would be possible - but at what cost?

He did the quickest thing he could think of, which was push McCoy as hard as he could so that there was no possibility of the man not clearing the beam. The was no time to pull his strength, so approximately three hundred pounds of pressure was put behind the thrust of his palms. In seconds Spock heard McCoy's wrist snap as the chain that bound them went taut, then limp as the Doctor's mangled hand managed to slip from the manacle. Bones had sailed out of the craft to land part-way out of the boat and mostly in the water. It was a very strange way to fall and probably resulted in a few cracked or broken ribs from the impact with the side of the swan, but at least he was free.

The beam went harmlessly through Spock, but the Vulcan didn't care. He stared at the Doctor with intense concern – bordering on anger. "How was that action logical?" He bit back his fury as he pulled on the chain to give himself more maneuverability in order to look over the doctor. McCoy was winded and sputtering blood.

"S-shoulda told me you have a…" He coughed, oozing more crimson from the corner of his mouth. "…plan. I wouldn't have gone an' made me look like an idiot."

Jim rushed over and pulled out some of the meager medical supplies McCoy always kept on his person. There wasn't a knitter, nor any of his hyposprays left. "Bones, you need to tell us what to do." The captain's voice was strong and commanding. Bones never liked the sharp edge Jim used when he was close to panicking and mused that it would make the man a terrible nurse.

"Rib punctured a lung… should be alright. S'why the almighty gave us two." He coughed again and looked to Spock. "You do have two don't you?"

Spock didn't comment knowing full well that it was only McCoy's attempt at being amusing despite his condition. He let the Captain mind the doctor's status while he straightened up to take a look around. Vienna seemed back to her normal self and was agitated beyond normal limits. She looked ready to have a mental breakdown. With fear in her sapphire eyes, she addressed Spock with a quivering voice. "Zira has severed contact with the Dolls… but I caught a glimpse of what she was up to before her presence completely disappeared."

Spock barked at her from his position on the swan. "Tell me."

Vienna covered her face and knelt into the water as if expecting to die at any moment. "You backed her into a corner… she's going to use her trump card." She sobbed then, and it took a moment for her words to become coherent enough for the Vulcan to comprehend. "She's going to shut down the Carnival. She's going to stop everything!"

Kirk and Spock looked at each other in horror, understanding just what Vienna meant. The captain picked up Bones with as much tenderness as he could and set him down on the swan before teaming up with his First Officer to free the Vulcan's bonds. They had to hurry, they didn't have much time. "That means life support Spock… and we're several miles under water…"

The Terran trembled, "Not only that… but the core of this park is a large gravity mechanism. If she turns that off…"

"We go crashing into the transparent aluminum casing…" Kirk whispered to himself.

"And thousands… millions of tons of water pressure will force its way through any crack." Spock started to calculate the probability of their survival.

"And we all die."

Bones chuckled to himself, his body high of natural endorphins fighting off the pain, "And I thought Carnivals were supposed to be _funny_."

* * *

**Author's Note**:

Poor Bones, he seems to be the one I like to torture the most. He's just too easy to put in bad situations. In the novel _Demons_ I was laughing my ass off when he got himself injured on Vulcan when Spock and some chick needed to cross the Forge. Spock offered to carry him and he would NOT let that happen. T'was hilarious. Such a good book...

Sorry for the very late update. I was having problems trying to make Spock's conclusions regarding Zira believable. I kept thinking to myself, "is this too much of a stretch for Spock?" then I remembered this is TOS. Plot devices didn't need to be believable.


	11. Chapter Ten: Gravity & Fear

**Carnival**

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_Chapter Ten_

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Gravity and Fear

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* * *

Kirk was never one to believe in no-win situations. That conviction was ingrained into his soul; it made him who he was. It also carried him high into the ranks of Starfleet and gave him a reputation to be proud of. This moment was no different. Panic was placed on a shelf in the back of Jim's mind and he unwrapped the cool leadership he was most renown for. Now was the time to plan – and fast.

Slowly they began to lean towards the upper hemisphere of the Carnival's globe. Before them, the surface of the water tilted and rose several inches up the tunnel mural - drowning several painted cupids in the process. With this change came a reduction of gravity and the feeling as if the ground were trying to desperately slip out from beneath them. The reason for this became all to clear to Spock.

The little planet they were perched on must have started its slow descent to oblivion. They were fortunate to be in the upper portion of the park where the most immediate problem was a strange tilt to their posture; but half the tourists attending the Carnival weren't so lucky. They must have fallen several stories from the underside of the turf to meet a horrible death squished against the transparent globe they were sheltered by – that is, unless they grabbed a firm hold of something. Then it would be a slow crush to death as the various rides crumpled from the weight of the park - and with it the people. There was also the chance the resulting twisted metal and fallen bodies would rupture the glass, and those who had not fallen, been crushed, or impaled - would drown. Probability of survival? So low Spock didn't want to calculate it. Not this time.

The power suddenly went out, putting Kirk ill at ease. An eerie silence settled upon them all, making the mood tense and full of fear. The background music - that was only noticed now that it was absent - was replaced with the resonance of trickling water and the distance sound of screaming. Emergency lighting turned out to be several simple glowing strips powered by the xenon lights that shone on them throughout the day. Spock estimated that they would only continue to provide them with luminescence for the next two hours.

In the dark, Kirk waded to the swan boat and began to examine a wing. Before anyone could ask what he was doing, he ripped off the wing and placed it in the water. It was made of painted wood, curved slightly for a wing-like shape; therefore it had some buoyancy to it. The captain frowned at how low it sat in the water, but tugged it over to McCoy anyway.

"An improvised stretcher." Spock said simply before swimming over to assist his superior. "The concavity of this board will irritate the rib penetrating McCoy's respiratory system. Bear in mind Captain, that we do not know where the rib is broken. If it is close to the heart, we should not attempt to move him."

Bones groaned, "I either die _here_ or on that plank of wood, and let me tell you… I'm not kicking the bucket staring at winged babies and frolicking newly-weds. Hurry it up… I think I'm going to pass out." He would have welcomed unconsciousness, but he was a doctor and knew that once his eyes closed they'd probably not open again.

Spock gingerly slipped his arm just under the doctor's shoulder blades and used the other to support his head while the Captain grabbed the man's legs and began the process of moving him onto the stretcher. Bones ground his teeth during the process and tried not to scream out at every little movement. He failed fantastically by squealing like a runted piglet. Over top of him, the Captain and the First Officer were bouncing ideas off of each other.

"Obviously we lost our communicators, so we're out of luck getting our own ride out of this. What about the commercial transporters?" Kirk said, trying to keep the hope out of his voice. There were dozens of mass transportation units littering the Carnival for tourist use. Surely one of them could accommodate the three of them?

"With the main lines down I doubt they'll have enough energy to beam out everyone. I'm estimating a total of 36.7 people could use each transporter before it malfunctions due to lack of reserved power."

"How in the blazes do you beam out point-seven of a person!" Bones said in the heat of another shifting. Spock and Kirk ignored him as they continued.

"The odds of us being part of the 36.7?"

"0.66% Captain. The transporters in the upper portion of the Carnival will most likely be faulty in 3.5 minutes if the average panicked tourist runs at 15 km/h and the population density of the Carnival was at 1365 per square kilometer at the time of disaster. Though I should point out, there are a lot of variables within that calculation leading to a slim margin of success should you chose to take that route despite the odds."

"Is that the 0.66%?"

"Yes Captain."

"Doesn't sound too promising does it? I think I gambled enough horrible odds in my life... I'm all for a new plan. What about the transporters in the lower portion of the Carnival?"

"Probability is significantly higher that we will encounter a useable transporter; however, it will be at aligned anywhere from ninety to one hundred and eighty degrees, increasing the likelihood of a transporter malfunction. Also, we would be unable to navigate properly bearing McCoy."

They both glanced to the injured doctor, earning them a sharp look in return that clearly stated '_I wasn't the one who did this to me_'. Spock quietly placed the doctor on the swan and made sure he wasn't going to sink into unconsciousness anytime soon. Bones gave them a feeble wave of his good hand and stayed uncharacteristically silent. Spock did another quick examination while Kirk severed the tether that anchored the swan. Just as they started their journey, Vienna vaulted onto the swan with a strange look in her eyes.

"If you three want to survive you'll need to take me with you." There was a note of crazy in her voice that instantly set Spock and Kirk on alert.

"I don't think I can trust you; after all, you're the reason we don't have communication; not to mention your hand was in this entire fiasco." The captain's eyebrow was raised in a manner that made Spock wonder if Kirk had been taking notes.

Vienna didn't look at anyone as she replied, "There is a transporter at the center of the mechanism. I know how to get to it."

Bones rolled his eyes. He was trying to act tough as Spock was checking his pulse and color. "I think the wool over our eyes has finally been stretched to our knees. Don't let her get our toes Jim."

Once again, no one paid any attention to the poor doctor in the background. Kirk stared at Vienna as if they were in the midst of an unfriendly poker game. "The mechanism?" He asked, earning a hasty nod from the woman. "The giant machine that powers the Carnival. There is one transport in the midst of it and it will most likely be Zira's escape route. She wouldn't have taken it yet… she'd want to savor the terror she created for as long as possible. You might be able to catch her if you hurry."

"That is logical." Noted Spock who was now preparing to slow the swan down with some drag before they careened into the small marina of unused crafts. With his Vulcan strength it only took him a few minutes to get them into a stand still on the water. The sounds of frightened people were much louder now, making an edge of panic creep into everything. Even Jim jumped as their silhouettes flared while they floated past the sparse emergency lights.

Vienna jumped out first and splashed several feet away to get her bearings in this strange new version of the Carnival. Everything was dark and disturbing, like one massive haunted house complete with creaks and groans as the ground shifted and shook.

Spock and Kirk grabbed a hold of their makeshift stretcher and hauled McCoy over to their guide. "All right. How do we get to where this transporter of yours is?" He huffed as he stumbled up to the woman. His footing was off since the ground as becoming more angled as gravity was steadily lost. It felt as if he were dragging McCoy across a slanted rooftop.

"There are hidden entrance ways throughout the park, the closest one to here is in the basement of the wax museum. It's a trapdoor in the Joan of Arc exhibit…" She made to move in that direction, but what she saw made her freeze. Spock noticed her lack of movement and stared in the direction she had initially intended to venture. His eyes trained on something that made his eyes widen. Vienna was right to be frightened.

Baring their path was a large _le-matya_: huge, orange, irritable and poisonous.

"Run." The Vulcan said in a tone that was deadly serious. Kirk didn't even bother to look before listening to his First Officer and dashing for cover. Carrying McCoy was difficult at a run, but the both of them managed. That was until the beast decided to pounce upon Spock's unprotected back.

What a _le-matya_ was doing in the midst of a Carnival, Spock had no idea. As soon as he saw a streak of orange in the corner of his eye he dropped his end of the stretcher and threw himself to the ground. Starfleet training at its simplest. The large cat missed, sailing over the trio's heads; yet Dr. McCoy slipped from his resting place and landed in a very painful heap next to the First Officer. He blacked out for a few moments, during which Spock moved so that the doctor was shielded from possible attack.

Kirk was the only one left on his feet and he instinctively went for his phaser. Finding none he adopted a defensive stance in case the_ le-matya_ decided to come back for vengeance.

It did, but it was heading straight for the doctor.

Bones paled, both from fear and from internal bleeding. Despite the situation he managed to cry, "For the love of-" before trying to cover his head and neck. It was a useless gesture. Spock was already leaning over him, his torso defending McCoy's vitals. Bones felt overwhelmed by the action and wanted to both pull Spock closer and to push him away. It would be a cold day in hell before he'd let the Vulcan bite a bullet with his name on it.

Kirk roared and leapt on top of the large mammal, his hands grasping at orange fur while he kicked and bit at any part of the beast he could reach. This successfully diverted the creature's attention. Vienna started to move again and cautiously approached the crouching Spock and McCoy. There was amazement in her eyes as she watched the _le-matya_ try to buck the captain off of its back to no avail.

Spock dragged the doctor over to what looked like an abandoned food stall, and gestured for the woman to follow. "Vienna,_ le-matya_ will attack the strongest predator it sees until it no longer poses a threat… it is especially vicious if the scent of blood is in the air." He looked to McCoy with what Bones interpreted as concern. "The Captain and I will lead it away. I need you to take the doctor to the original coordinates we beamed down to while we locate the transporter and contact the Enterprise."

Vienna and Bones both started to protest, but the Vulcan would not listen. There was limited time, and splitting up was the only option.

Spock vaulted to the bucking beast and aided the Captain by getting it to center on him. It wasn't too difficult, for the copper-based blood of a Vulcan was like sugar to a Terran child. The animal smelt it emanating from Spock's chest and immediately gave chase. The Vulcan ran in the opposite direction of the injured CMO.

Meanwhile, Kirk was holding on for dear life. He knew nothing of what this monstrosity was capable of. He was vaguely aware of what his First was doing though, and agreed whole-heartedly. If they were going to eventually face off against Zira, they could not do it while lugging McCoy around, and Vienna could be used as a weapon against them. This part of the plan was made for Spock and Kirk - alone.

When they were closer to the museum, Spock dodged a few poisonous swipes of the _le-matya_ to get close enough to it's subclavian artery. Once there, it was only a simple matter of a neck pinch and the animal was out of commission. Spock let out a sigh of relief and waited for the captain to organize himself.

Jim rolled off the creature's back and laid on the pavement for awhile to catch his breath.

"Are you all right Captain?" The Science Officer asked upon approach.

Kirk nodded, "Haven't done that in ages… what was that thing?"

Spock looked over to it's sleeping form before helping the Captain up. "It is a mammal native to Vulcan known as the _le-matya_. It is a dangerous predator. One small cut from it's poisonous claws is enough to kill any humanoid. I do not understand why there is one here. _Le-matya_ are illegal to remove from Vulcan."

The two of them left that question unanswered as they headed into the crooked museum in perfect tandem. They conversed in low whispers as they descended into a dungeon filled with wax figures. The faces of the pieces were forever etched into expressions of agony. Though, none of the surroundings frightened the two Starfleet officers; they had experienced far more terrifying things in the last twenty-four hours.

"This is the Joan of Arc exhibit I think…" Kirk squinted in the haze emergency lighting. The display was a simple jail cell with a woman tied to a stake, but her face was difficult to make out, as was the words printed above her head. The luminous strips were beginning to show the first signs of fading; however, The trap door at the wax witch's feet was clearly visible against the stone floor. Spock bent the old style cage bars easily and slipped inside. Kirk tapped the bent metal with interest; it was only aluminum.

Spock knelt in the dusty floor and opened the trapdoor. To his surprise, there was a long metal ladder leading into a brightly lit corridor below. The contrast between the dim dungeon cell and pristine modern hallway made the two men slightly disorientated. Both of them had to close their eyes a moment to adjust. It didn't help that they were still leaning at about a 60 degree angle from the floor.

Kirk went down first after a silent argument. Logically Spock should have descended first since he had natural weapons that the Captain did not, but of course such thinking would always be put aside in the face of Kirk's pride.

Luckily nothing waited for them in the corridor.

There was a loud hum that oscillated as if it were the Carnival's pulse; it made Kirk's ears pound in a matching rhythm. Wires spat out sparks from points where the circuitry had been ripped out. It was obvious that a rampaging _someone _had come by that way. Spock took a look at the system and frowned. "This entire corridor is just an artery towards the heart of the mechanism. I've never seen such an impressive device… these walls are an interconnected system supplying atmosphere, gravity and power. The main controls are most likely in an atrium… that way." He pointed towards what looked to be white light up ahead.

"Light at the end of a tunnel. I was always told to avoid that." The Captain muttered under his breath, but Vulcan ears picked it up.

"I do not understand the reasoning behind such a cryptic warning..." There was his signature eyebrow again. Kirk couldn't help but smile.

"Never mind Spock." He walked briskly towards the well-lit atrium. As they got closer, they could see a frantic figure gutting any electronics she could find. Upon closer inspection it was Zira, and she looked wild and delirious. The light that nearly blinded the duo came from hundreds of screens that projected what was going on outside. There were a lot of screaming tourists, as well as corpses on the screens. Spock noticed that with every shiver of terror Zira witnessed, she became more irrational and her movements more erratic.

"Madame Zira." Kirk called, his voice strong like a Judge's. "I am detaining you for violation of several Federation laws. You have lead to the death of hundreds, tortured respected members of Starfleet… illegally imported a _le-matya_…" Not that the last one would hold any weight behind it. "Spock would list off more if we had the time, but we don't."

"You are correct." Her black eyes were creepy on her pale twisted face. "You're all going to die here… like _them_." She cocked her head in the direction of the multitude of screens. "And I will _feel_ it all. Your pain… your terror… my _power_." Her words were dripping with insanity. Kirk merely looked disgusted.

Spock stepped forward and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. Zira was not going to be an ordinary opponent, and hopefully his Captain realized this."She is far too influenced by the emotions she's absorbing to be capable of diplomacy. I suggest we attempt to detain her by force."

This surprised Kirk. He knew that the ringmaster was out of her right mind, but such a gung-ho statement brought a smile to his lips. "Spock, you of all people suggest violence as a solution to our problem? Never thought I'd hear you say it."

The Vulcan kept his eyes on their enemy. The fact that Jim could still joke while facing a woman who murdered countless people made Spock unsettled. "Zira is not someone we should underestimate in her current state. She has-"

Suddenly he froze as if someone had dipped him in liquid nitrogen. Darkness enveloped his mind and Spock felt as if his senses had been taken from him. His hearing was the only ability he had retained, and all he could gather was the sound of a thousand people dying. In his head the thoughts of the failing swarm bubbled over his own processes. Hopelessness drowned all perception. Such heavy thoughts wrenched at his own emotions and made them seem fragile in comparison - like cobwebs faced with an ocean wave. He was vaguely aware of a force trying to press his body into moving against his will, but he used all of his spirit to force his muscles into a stand still. Suddenly, Zira's voice was in his ear.

"_Do it Spock. Move for me… think for me… do you really believe you can resist_ me?"

She was going to use him against the Captain. It was the only purpose he could surmise from her intrusion into his mind. Spock thought that such possession would be impossible against his meticulous and disciplined mind; however, she was conducting such a flood of horror into his head that it was hard not to drown in the misery she fed him.

Kirk was staring at his First Officer with concern. The grip on his shoulder tightened and a stained look overcame his normally stoic features. It didn't take long to notice that both Zira and Spock had fallen silent and adopted similar expressions. He went to slip out of the Vulcan's grip, only to find that it tightened painfully. "Spock. You're stronger then her, you know this. Don't let some crazy psycho woman make you do something you don't want to do." It was lame encouragement and he knew it. Why couldn't he listen to his First _before_ it was too late?

"He's willful… your friend…" Zira chocked out, not removing her eyes from Spock. "But he'll hold you in place while I complete my symphony." She turned away, her movements now limited and slow. The mental drain on her must have been immense, but not enough to stop her from killing the last of the gravity. Kirk and Spock were weightless for a few seconds then they experienced a lurch that nearly made Kirk's knees buckle. The captain looked to the monitors and his hazel eyes widened.

Ocean water was gushing into the Carnival at a terrible pace. The transparent aluminum must have been compromised. Already some of the cameras went dark as their circuits shorted out.

Kirk didn't know what to say. Nothing verbal could express the tangle of emotions surging through the man's body. He watched as Zira pressed some more buttons, causing a small transporter to surface from the metallic flooring. She looked at the device, then back to Kirk with a pronounced frown.

"You two have ruined my Carnival." Zira turned and drew a small dagger from her belt. "My entire life has been for this moment… and it tastes so bittersweet. Fear is so thick in the air… and yet I am unsatisfied." Her heeled boots clicked on the plating beneath her as she slowly walked towards the captain with the dagger in her pale hand. The captain could read her intent with every footfall and he tried desperately to wrench himself free of Spock's grip, yet it was as tight as ever.

"Kill me and you will still remain unsatisfied. I'd be just another life wasted at your hands. One of a thousand."

Zira didn't even blink at his words."You would follow me to the coordinates I set since Mr. Spock will be free once he is clear of my mind's range. I can't have that. You will die here instead, but at least you will die first..."

She raised the dagger and gave Kirk her signature grin. Jim's hazel eyes widened and he stared at the point of her weapon with dread. There was nothing he could do. Spock's grip was too strong. He tried to kick at her, making her stumble slightly, but her aim was true and she plunged the knife straight into his chest.

* * *

**Author's Note**:

I'm updating so slowly now... but I think the next chapter will be the last! I'm not entirely certain. Please review your hearts out! We're near the end and I need my ego inflated (or deflated if you feel the need to pull out a needle). I thank you all for reviewing, especially those that review regularly... without you, this chapter would have taken another week.


	12. Chapter Eleven: Electricity & Goodbyes

**Carnival**

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_Chapter Eleven_

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Electricity and Goodbyes

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* * *

Bones was furious. He watched the retreating back of Spock while Vienna laid a gentle hand on his shoulder to stop the doctor from crawling after him. Kirk was riding the _le-matya_ like it was some sort of hellish bronco. McCoy knew that at the end of Jim's cowboy moment his services were going to be required; but no… Spock's steel trap mind thought that leaving behind the only medic - an injured one at that - with a blond-haired blue-eyed turncoat was a brilliant idea. Whoever made that stiff-necked robot a science officer should be shot.

McCoy roughly pushed Vienna's hand off of his shoulder and tried to stand. His ribs felt like someone took a sledgehammer to them. He was forced to sink into a crouch in order cough more fluid out of his lungs – the dark variety. Bones noted that he was going to have to be more careful about that misplaced rib of his or he'd end up spearing himself in the heart without warning.

"Don't be an idiot. Your hurt, you need to lie still." Vienna's voice was still laced with the remnants of terror. Bones ignored her urging and properly straightened himself out. "I'm a doctor; I think I know what I need and what I don't need. What I need are some medical supplies; what I _don't_ need is you nattering at me. I don't trust you, and I'm sure as shootin' not going to let you order me around."

"Your First Officer told me to get you to where you guys beamed down yesterday." Her frustration was evident.

"Yeah, well… I didn't hear it." Bones stumbled in the direction his friends went off in. He didn't get very far before he had to stop and take a breather. Operating with one lung was proving to be more difficult then McCoy wanted it to be. "If only I have my god-damned med-kit."

Vienna picked up on his grumbling. "It's not like you could patch a lung or something in the field. Face it; you'll only slow them down. Let's get to where they wanted us to be. Once they apprehend Zira I'm sure they'll get to the Enterprise and beam you up at the old co-ordinates."

McCoy wasn't listening; his brow was furrowed as he stared at the footprints of the _le-matya_. "There's a zoo at this Carnival… right?"

"Yes…" The woman answered slowly, not sure what the doctor was getting at; however McCoy didn't bother to clarify as he continued, "Where is this zoo?"

Vienna was getting impatient. She grabbed him by the shoulder and turned the doctor around to face her. He let out a painful wheeze and nearly lost his balance. "What are you trying to do? Kill me?" He hissed as he recovered his footing, but it was the Doll's turn to cut to the chase. "Just what are you scheming Leonard McCoy?"

Just as the doctor opened his mouth to respond, the world gave a terrible lurch and sent the two figures sprawling. McCoy landed heavily on top of Vienna. The both of them were dazed as the slight tilt they were used to became a very awkward one. The slope of the ground was now threatening to slip McCoy and his partner off the face of the carnival. The majority of their conversation was left behind as they struggled to maneuver into a standing position; it was difficult since McCoy was taking longer to orient due to being crippled and Vienna was pinned by his body. The girl blushed slightly.

Bones took notice and attempted to convey an understanding smile - it came out as a painful grimace. "It's okay. I'm a doctor."

Vienna paused and giggled weakly. It was strange that being in a graceless situation like this made her feel amused. The world was practically ending and yet there was a small bit of pleasure to be had in the company of a surly, stubborn medical officer she had - minutes ago - formally been the enemy of. "Is it the habit of every Starfleet Officer to use humor in dire situations?"

"Security doesn't. Then again… they rarely have anything to laugh about." McCoy finally made it to his feet and took a look around. "Which way did you say that zoo was?"

The woman sighed and scrambled after the doctor in case he decided to run off in a random direction. "I don't know what you could possibly want with the zoo… but it's just up ahead." She pointed a little left of where Spock and Kirk had run off. McCoy wasted no time following her directions and stumbled across the tilted street.

By the time they got to the zoo, the surroundings were a lot more silent. A chill raced up the doctor's spine as his thoughts became a little paranoid. Screaming was a sign of the living… but the absence of noise was a bad omen. Nothing but the squealing of bending metal and the distant sound of running water could be made out with the casual strain of the ear. Vienna stuck close. "I don't think we'll have time to make it to the beam up spot if we linger for much longer… this place is going to be destroyed in a matter of minutes."

McCoy grunted and entered the zoo. He looked around for a small second before letting out a fragile cheer. Vienna barely had time to follow as the doctor dashed for a small hut marked with the words, '_Veterinarian Clinic_.' Vienna looked dumbfounded. "You're not intending to patch yourself up like an animal are you?"

"We're all animals." He opened the door – surprised to find it unlocked, "Human arrogance assumes otherwise." Bones started to rummage around for anything he could use. He found several hypos and a dermal regenerator. With some cursing he attempted to set the device for human conditions - it was currently set to Orca.

"Anything useful?" Vienna slipped in the hut behind Bones and looked around at the horrible mess. In the gravity shift half a dozen vials and several jars of antiseptic broke. Shattered glass and sticky substances littered the floor, but such junk didn't seem to faze McCoy in the least. She looked up to see the man pumping something into his jugular.

"This will keep my ticker going even there's a rib through it… but it won't last forever." The doctor went to go to the door, but as he turned, his eyes set on something he couldn't ignore.

Vienna followed his gaze and frowned at what McCoy was in the process of lifting off of the floor. "You are not seriously thinking of taking that are you?"

Bones had a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he turned his prize over in his only working hand. With a new confidence he hefted it over his shoulder and marched back into Carnival streets. His heading was the Wax Museum, even though Vienna shadowed him with much protest.

…

Spock was lost in his own mind for what seemed like hours, though the Vulcan knew it was barely two minutes from was counting the heartbeats of his commander through his frozen fingers. He could not hear, nor see, but Spock knew danger was fast approaching. Kirk's pulse quickened, though in Spock's twisted perspective of time, each pulse felt minutes long.

The collective screams of the dying had ebbed from Spock's thoughts to only being a slight buzz in the background of his mindscape. Vulcan minds were capable of multiple chains of thought, so Spock isolated all foreign stimuli to his outer processes. He chose to center himself around Jim, in hopes of finding some way to break free from Zira's thrall. It was possible, for he managed to regain his sense of touch; but now it was all he could do to refrain from moving as the Betazoid wished him to. Spock refused to damage the Captain no matter the circumstances, and his will was like diamond.

All of a sudden he felt a break in the woman's control. It was like a breath of reality. Spock opened his mind to what was really occurring and with a chocked out cry, he found he was too late.

Blood was gushing from his Captain's chest and Zira was screaming like a banshee while clutching at her eye. Spock barely had time to orient himself into a kneeling position to catch Jim as his knees gave way, but he managed to while putting a hand to the wound in order to stem the blood. The Vulcan was rapidly calculating how long his closest friend had before he bled to death. He looked to Zira and found her in the midst of falling to the grating. Her arms fell limp at her sides as she hit the deck, revealing a large dart compromising her eye in a rather gruesome manner. Spock looked for the source and stared in bewilderment at the corridor Kirk and he had emerged from earlier.

McCoy was bearing an empty Tranquilizer gun, Vienna at his side. As soon as Zira was out of commission, he shouldered the weapon and started to run towards the two of them as if a le-matya were at his heels.

Jim wasn't doing so well.

"S-Spock… is she dead…?" He rasped, clutching at his wound, his hand over top of Spock's. He was trying to keep his eyes open despite the blackness creeping in at the edges of his vision.

Spock looked to the doctor who was rapidly injecting Kirk with a series of mystery concoctions. As he struggled to make up more medication from the limited resources he foraged, McCoy explained what had happened. "I meant to hit her in the neck… but the first shot missed and she looked to see where the bloody thing came from, so she got a face full of tranquilizer dart. I'll have to look her over to see if she survived… you're more important right now. Spock, apply some more pressure… I only have seconds." McCoy was breathing in short gasps, his words sounding rushed. Spock raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he used both of his hands to push at the stab wound. A few seconds later McCoy pushed his fingers aside and poked around Kirk's wound, earning himself some yells of agony as Bones shoved the dermal regenerator into where the damage was the worst. The blood flow started to slow and McCoy withdrew his hand. "I need a damn Tricorder to pin point what's wrong… I can only slap a band-aid on this mess. Spock, we need to get to the ship, _NOW_."

The Vulcan nodded and picked up the Captain as if he were a child. Jim's head lolled back as he gasped in pain. "_Gentle_ Spock… I'm damaged goods…" His voice was faint and lacking in humor. This spurred Spock on and he ran to the Transporter Zira attempted to use before she attacked the Captain.

Bones and Vienna dragged Zira's body next to Spock. Bones looked the woman over while Vienna dashed to the console and started to fiddle with the controls. "Automatic transportation sequence initiated. Beam out in 60-."

Her sentence was interrupted as a large spike of metal burst through the bottom of the atrium. It was the main support of a Carnival ride - forced through layers of concrete and metal as the park collided with the bottom of the ocean. With the twisted wreckage came a torrent of salt water that short circuited everything it touched. The sound deafened everyone within the central mechanism.

Large iron doors fell over the exits as the electrical apparatus' that supported them failed. Electric sparks flew out from the console and burned Vienna's hands. Her scream of pain was drowned by the rushing water. She was forced to yell in order to communicate to those waiting on the transporter. "The Transporter is shorting out!"

"Will we make it?" Bones cried in response.

The horrified expression on the girl's face was enough of an answer for the doctor to start saying his prayers. Spock gently laid the Captain down on the transporter pad before making a move to assist Vienna at the console. Jim grasped at his First's sleeve feebly. "S-Spock… I order you not to be a hero… and do something s-stupid like sacrifice yourself to save us… or s-some of us… or me."

"If that option presented itself it would be far from unintelligent and preferable to the fate that awaits us."

"All or none Spock. That's an order." Kirk's hand dropped from Spock's sleeve as he fell into unconsciousness. The Science Officer took a long hard look at his Captain before joining Vienna at the computer station.

The water level was rising rapidly, and at Spock's estimate, would overtake them in two minutes. With a hasty shove, he pushed Vienna out of the way and towards the Transporter Pad. "Vienna, tell the doctor that he will need to keep the Captain from drowning in the next fifteen minutes. Try to do the same for Zira, but if it comes down to a choice between her or the Captain – save the Captain."

"What are you planning to do?"

Spock stared at the burnt out console and began to tinker with the working remainder. "I will try to get a signal through to the Enterprise. This computer must have a method of communication, for it is receiving information from a multitude of cameras… therefore it is possible I could reverse the process and heighten the signal to broadcast through the depths of Pacifica's ocean. The likelihood that it will make it is astronomical… bordering on the impossible."

Vienna's eyes widened and panic set in. Numbly she watched the Vulcan's hands move fluidly over the keys. "You mean… we're going to die here?"

"Quite possibly, but despite logic… I think we'll make it."

The woman looked extremely confused, "But… what? You said _astronomical…_"

Bones crept up from behind her, having heard the last bit of Spock's statement. He grabbed her firmly by the shoulder and started to pull her back to the injured party members. There was a layer of water over the grating at their feet and their footfalls sounded like the crackling of lightning. "Obviously you've never heard of our reputation… or more specifically his." The doctor pointed a thumb to the unconscious Captain. "You just watch, he's going to survive this nightmare while _sleeping;_ he always does. The odds could be stacked against him a million to one and he'll just come out of it needing a hypo and a tailor."

There was a shred of doubt in McCoy's voice that the woman picked up on. He was trying to keep up morale; after all, that was what he was trained to do. She chose not to expose it as she made sure the water didn't engulf her ringmaster's head. Both Zira and Jim were floating now that the water was up to their knees. Bones was frowning as the captain started to shake violently. The sea water was freezing; this coupled with a stab wound was going to kill the man if they didn't get out of there soon.

The Medical Officer looked to Spock, who was now working away furiously. His face was set in absolute concentration, even as the keypad beneath his fingers spat electricity, burning his fingers. Soon the entire console short circuited and water lapped at the Vulcan's chin. He swiftly moved on top of the computer station and began to access some of the higher mechanics by peeling off overheating panels and fiddling with the back-up interfaces; but he was running out of time.

The last accessible panel went under three minutes later, making Spock dive underwater and hope to Surak that he didn't get electrocuted. At the same time, McCoy was struggling to keep himself and Kirk afloat. The tips of his toes were leaving the top of the transporter and Kirk was sinking like a stone. It took all of his energy to lift the captain, but swimming for the both of them would be impossible. All that was keeping the doctor moving was some shots of adrenaline and a few painkillers.

The salt water swallowed the both of them, making McCoy's head hurt from the cold. Despite the lack of oxygen, Bones held Kirk above the surface. At least the man would survive a few more seconds then he would.

The weight was taken away from him and a firm arm wrapped around his torso. The heat of the body made McCoy instantly feel better. His head popped out of the water to stare tenaciously at Spock. The Vulcan had Jim part way over his shoulder and was managing to keep the three of them stable.

"Showing off are we?" Bones grumbled over the never ending splashing.

"Saving lives, and I dare say I'm better at it then you." Spock said with what the doctor swore was a small smile.

"Did you manage to get off the signal?" Bones was trying to keep the hope out of his voice.

Spock fell silent and tried to hide his emotions, "I did, yet I doubt our transporters could lock on to us with all this interference. Also, the signal only lasted for a few seconds…"

McCoy looked away with a miserable expression. Luckily Vienna was two busy trying to swim and keep her old master alive as well. Electricity was now dancing through the water, giving all of them momentary shocks that reeked havoc on their nervous systems. The doctor swore he was getting a heart attack, but maybe it was just a symptom of Spock's smile.

"What the hell are you smiling about? What happened to the whole _Vulcan's don't have emotions_ bullshit?"

Spock's usual impassive face greeted Bones. "I was just ruminating. Out of all the times we could have died, this seems most appealing."

Bones stared at Spock with an expression of disbelief. "My god man. Do you hear what you are saying?"

"Barely. My ears are compromised with an access of fluid." Spock said as he gave a small frown. Bones kicked him underwater, knowing full well the Vulcan knew what he meant, but Spock merely thought it was a spasm on the doctor's part. "We will all die together, friends till our last breath."

"Poetic Spock… but I'd rather die alone knowing that both of you were safe…"

Silence answered this as their heads hit the top of the atrium. If ever there was a time for last words it was now.

"Spock there is something I've wanted to tell you… but I-"

Spock looked the doctor in the eye, his face unreadable as the water forced him to break contact and squish his face towards the only available air. Before McCoy could say anything further, he was forced to take his last breath; but he chocked because his left lung was already too full of his own blood. Accidently he inhaled a breath of water and Spock looked on horrified.

The Vulcan left Jim to free-float now that they all were doomed to the same fate. He then turned to help McCoy even though his scientific mind couldn't come up with any solution. The doctor was going to die first… and that was that.

But Vienna didn't think so. She shoved her way between Spock and Bones pushed at the doctor's chest. Blood and bubbles came out of his open mouth, and just as he reflexively went to inhale, the woman put her lips over his. It was a moment that shocked Bones into full awareness.

There was a small bit of oxygen Vienna withheld from her own starving lungs that kept McCoy conscious for about half a minute. During their interaction they sank a few meters from the top of the atrium, Vienna's hair leaving a golden trail behind her. She put a dainty hand to the doctors face, her blue eyes wide and full of fear, but also full of something akin to love. McCoy was speechless - which suited him well in this environment. Suddenly a strange sound flowed through the water and both figures looked up. They expected to see Spock still holding on with Jim at his side, but what they saw instead made turned their hearts to stone.

They had vanished.

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**Authors Note**:

A hastily written chapter after a long absence! August is a horrible month for me... and I've been crazy busy and will continue to be as college starts up again. This is one of my longer chapters though... so I hope I sort of made it up to you. It kinda got more Bones-Spock then I intended in the end here... but it seems that the majority of you don't mind it. I'm not too sure of the quality of this sucker, since I was scrambling to edit this... so point out anything obviously off, please and thank-you.

Read and review! Next chapter is definitely the last!


	13. Chapter Twelve: Promises & Sweet Dreams

**Carnival**

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_Chapter Twelve_

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Promises and Sweet Dreams

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There is always that moment right before chaos where the world slows to a stand still. The bubbles from a thousand flooded crevices flowed over the floating forms of what made up the last of the sentient life present on Pacifica's carnival. The need for oxygen seemed to fade as Spock's mind accepted the fact that he was going to die here. Clarity eased his body into relaxing; into taking in the final moments of a short but productive life. His brown eyes sought out his Captain. Jim was most likely dead by now, for he had been unconscious when the flooding began and instincts could only go so far; but there was a gentle expression on the man's face. The worry lines were gone… yet so was the color Spock had grown accustomed to; upon that realization there existed a small fraction sorrow. The warmth in human skin tones always spoke to the Vulcan in ways his cold artifacts and heritage could not. Now his friend's face was pale and purple-hued, more sickly then Spock ever remembered it being. A long-fingered hand reached out to slip over his face. There was the haze of death choking at what remained of a vibrant man. Spock retracted with a small look of regret before twisting to look at the doctor several meters below him… one last time.

Vienna was pressing her lips against McCoy's and giving the man a tiny glimmer of hope in the gases exchanged. Spock's eyebrow perked despite the situation, for her gesture was one that the First Officer would never have predicted. The look in McCoy's eyes conveyed a similar feeling. Wonder dominated Bones' features, and Spock nearly smiled. If the Vulcan could have picked an expression he had wanted to see on his friend's face before he died, bewilderment would have been it.

A tingling sensation started to creep across Spock's limbs and he looked at his hands in confusion. Confusion quickly turned into disbelief as he realized his atoms were being ripped apart and re-located. Obviously someone managed to lock onto them with the transporter at the last possible minute.

Spock dared to smile, knowing that no one could see. McCoy's earlier good humor held some truth – when they had each other, no force in the universe seemed to be able to take them on. The Vulcan looked back to McCoy to take in some more of his bewilderment before they cleared the Carnival; but instead of sharing happiness, Spock's face fell. McCoy's signal was not included in the beam out - Bones had no idea that they were leaving without him.

Spock wanted to scream for McCoy to realize, but all that came out of his mouth was a stream of hectic bubbles. Just as his eyes melted into a stream of white light, the Science Officer realized that the doctor had been left behind.

Then there was chaos.

The shifting lights of the Transporter room - The clap of water striking synthetic walls - the collective gasp of Starfleet officers were doused with the tidal wave they captured - the heavy wet thud as bodies hit the transporter dais - the slap of medical heels on wet flooring - the squelch of a soaked uniform on reinforced glass - The First Officer practically throwing himself from prone to standing in the direction of the console…

"Spock!" cried a dripping Scotty as he tried to figure out just what the hell his senior officer was trying to do. Nurse Chapel went from the Captain's side to the Vulcan with the kind of super-human speed medical officers were known for. "Mr. Spock, please refrain from moving!"

Dials and sliding levers were being manipulated before anyone could blink. Spock shot Chapel a sideways glance that seemed to make her hand stop reaching for the hypospray. "McCoy is back there." In the second it took to voice the statement, the room fell silent. Spock erupted into a coughing fit, but continued the explanation as he worked. "He was only a few yards from the co-ordinates you used to rescue the C-Captain, Zira and myself." Spock did the necessary adjustments for locking onto McCoy's position in his head. "Please clear the transporter… NOW."

In one mad scramble, Scotty, Chapel and two medical aids managed to drag both Kirk and Vienna clear just as another body of water appeared before them. It broke as the first did, showering the room with more moisture and even knocking Chapel on her back; but Spock wasn't paying attention to his surroundings – only the limp form on the transporter pad.

Vienna was sprawled half on the dais and half off of it. Her lovely eyes were wide and staring into a world they could no longer fathom. Chapel didn't even make a move for her when she locked onto the drowned CMO. Both Spock and the senior nurse staggered to the doctor and began to assess the situation.

"He's not breathing." Chapel said with a strong detached voice. Her hands went to his throat, his hands and then finally his chest as she began CPR. After twelve seconds her hands were shaking and she could barely gather the strength required to pump the air she was feeding him out of his lungs. There wasn't even a flutter of a heart beat, or the warmth of his flesh. McCoy's blood was mixing with the water on the transporter pad, dying everything a bright scarlet.

A firm hand grasped her shoulder and she looked up into Spock's eyes.

"Please, let me. Tend to Jim, but leave your med-kit."

Like a ghost Chapel shied away and watched as Spock took her position and hovered over McCoy like an angel of death. He took her medical tools one by one out of her kit and started to cut away at the doctor's shirt. She couldn't bring herself to observe any longer for tears were starting to collect in the corners of her eyes, and as a medical practitioner McCoy would have scolded her. She made her way to the Captain who was by some miracle still alive and being bound to a stretcher.

Spock blew as much life as he could into the still form beneath him. Every ounce of will the First Officer had went into the air they now shared. Still, McCoy's lips were cold and his lungs would not take. His wound bubbled where the worst of the damage was. Immediately Spock concentrated on using the derma-plasts to try and patch the areas that were too much for the field regenerator. When the air stopped seeping through the doctor's respiratory system, Spock tried CPR again. After several gas exchanges, McCoy's eyes fluttered and he threw up all over the dais.

Scotty and Chapel let out the breaths they didn't even know they were holding.

Spock grabbed McCoy gently by the back of the head and forced him to look in his direction so that he could discern if Bones' was indeed coming around. The doctor looked very disorientated, but managed to focus on the brown eyes boring into his own. "S-Spock…?"

"Are you all right doctor?"

The words seemed to take a second to sink in. McCoy's head rolled around in Spock's grip to get a look of where he was. He raised a bloodied hand and appraised the vomit that now coated it. "Just… damn… I- I thought I was… I- I didn't throw up on you did I?"

"No, you did not."

There was an awkward moment where all they could do was stare at each other. Bones eventually broke the silence.

"Missed then…" He let out a gurgled breath. Spock continued to cradle his head as the aids came over and started to move the battered doctor onto a gurney. McCoy batted at a few arms, but no one paid any attention to his feeble protests. "Is Jim all right?"

Chapel discharged a few hypo sprays into Bones' neck then frowned at the skin there. It was starting to bubble from all the attention in the last twenty-four hours. Meanwhile, Scotty appeared to answer the question with a jolly grin. "The Captain is right as rain and you too if you stop ya chatterin'"

"Are you telling me to relax? After what I've been through? Scotty I'm going to… oh… my… twinkling lights."

He never did get to finish that sentence as his head lolled and the medical team wasted no time ushering their newest patient out of the transporter room. It was now Spock's turn for attention as the nurse and the engineer set their eyes on him.

"What is _this_?" Nurse Chapel murmured in a hushed voice as her fingers traced the jewel embedded into Spock's chest. The Vulcan took a step back to relieve himself of Chapel's touch. "It is mineral which amplifies telepathic abilities. Do you think it would be possible to remove?"

Chapel looked uncertain, "I'd have to examine it first…"

The janitorial staff entered the transporter room and gave a look of utter dismay at the state of the floor. Scotty gave them an apologetic look, "Well, it could be worse…"

"Two dead bodies, puke, water, blood…" One of them said in awe, "How could it be worse?"

Spock crept over to the form of Zira. She was indeed deceased. Chapel followed him and kneeled beside the corpse. The nurse gently rolled her head over in her fingers to get a look at the dart still embedded in her eye."Is she the one that caused the devastation down there?"

"Thousands dead, because one woman wished to _feel_." Spock looked momentarily disgusted before masking it with his usual countenance. "Had she been in control of her emotions, this would never have happened."

The nurse stared at Spock's profile and stood to her full height – not taking her bright blue eyes off him for a second. "Had _you_ been in control of your emotions, we would be requiring a new chief medical officer right now."

The Vulcan didn't acknowledge the woman with his eyes and instead chose to make his way to the door. It was almost juvenile the way he opened his mouth to protest, and then closed it as he rephrased what he was originally going to say. "I do not see the point of your argument."

Chapel sighed and followed after him with the hope of getting him to enter sick bay without the need of a security team. "My point is, emotions can lead to horrific things such as the carnage you and the others suffered through; but it can also lead to saving the ones you care about. How do you think the Captain manages to keep us all alive each and every day? He would die before letting someone destroy everything he holds dear, and I like to think a little bit of that rubbed off on you."

"Illogical. Personality traits cannot be transmuted through friction."

A knowing smile flitting across her lips as Spock's tone softened with his last statement. "What ever you say Mr. Spock." Christine dropped any further elaboration on the subject and guided him into the medical ward with a strong arm. Before Spock knew it, he had Dr. M'Benga and several other medical staff hovering around him with various torture devices and tricorders at the ready. They began to record his every ailment and set about mending them with co-ordinated precision. In only two hours, all three injured senior staff members were slumbering dreamlessly beneath hospital blankets, the monitors beeping happily above them from time to time.

Nurse Chapel smiled at each of them in turn, and turned out the lights in the recovery room before diving into the large stack of paperwork McCoy wouldn't be able to get around to filling out for the next few days.

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**Epilogue**

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Two days later, once all the paperwork and Starfleet hails had stopped their onslaught, Spock was staring blearily at the drink in his hand. "I thought you said this was standard meal supplement 12, but I believe I have the distinct impression of cocoa on my palette."

The three senior officers of the Enterprise were currently lounging in their respective bio-beds, having the first hour in the last few days to themselves without someone taking their statement or pushing a report on them. Jim and Bones were giggling like school boys at the look of disgust their Vulcan friend was aiming at his glass of liquid-protein. "Relax Spock; it's to fill that empty hole in your chest."

"Then I assume there is chocolate in this?" The science officer said with an air of defeat.

"Face it Spock, you should have drank it last time I had offered it to you. Then I wouldn't have been tempted to bribe Christine to – ow! Just where do you think your sticking that thing?" McCoy said tersely as nurse Chapel retracted a hand from beneath his blankets. There was a mischievous smirk on her face that seemed to get wider the longer her boss was in her care.

"Your neck is still recovering, so I had to seek out other suitable areas. Besides, you promised me you'd be a good patient today."

Bones grumbled obscenities under his breath as he sat back against his pillows. "Is that what I've been doing to people? Hovering around like a black fly proddin' and pokin' places best left alone…?"

The sarcasm was lost as both Spock and Kirk answered in tandem, "Yes."

They all laughed for a solid minute before Chapel left them alone to rest and Kirk fell heavily against his bed. "Well… I have to say, it's good to be alive." The smile from their joking just wouldn't seem to fade. Jim wasn't sure if it was the drugs or the high off surviving such a mess. He drank in the happy faces of his comrades anyway, before he continued, "Bones are you going to hold onto that tranquilizer gun?"

"Damn right I am. I'm planning to use it against any unreasonable Vulcans I find skipping their physicals."

"Vulcans are never unreasonable."

Bones threw a pillow at Spock and curled up with the remainder. The act surprised Spock and he looked at the object with confusion.

"Shut up and let me sleep."

"I had not intended on keeping you up with idle chatter."

"Doin' a good job of it…" The doctor grumbled as Jim chuckled at their antics. "Now now boys, its time for some shut eye. Spock stop needing to get in the last word, and Bones… as a favor to the crew, you _need_ to get your beauty sleep." Kirk rolled over and drew the blankets close. He listened as his friends replied in their own unique fashions -Bones with some juvenile name calling that no one took seriously, and Spock with a general 'Good night'. No one noticed the way their bodies silently orientated so that they were all facing each other before they could finally drift off to sleep. No one also noticed the way Bones and Spock looked at each other before hastily looking away and burying their faces in the Chapel-fluffed pillows. Eventually the purr of the Enterprise's engines lulled them into a quiet restful slumber.

That is until McCoy woke up eight hours later to find Spock had counter-bribed Chapel into giving him rice-gruel for breakfast.

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Author's Note:

It's finally finished! Yay! I think this is the first multi-chapter story I EVER managed to complete. I'm very proud of myself. I'm hoping to clean this sucker up in the future for new readers who want to start at the beginning.

Thank-you for all the reviewers who stuck it out with me. I am FAR from the best writer on here, but I do like to fan-vomit on a page... and it's nice that some people can appreciate it. There's probably a lot of errors everywhere on this page. If you spot something amiss - ANYTHING amiss - from plot to personality to puncuation, please review or mesage me so that I can jump on it and improve. I still need to go through old chapters and work out the whole then - than thing... ugh, I'm so bad for that. Also, I am aware that I can get hyper-corny at points, especially with this chapter - but the more I read Trek novels the more I think it's justified. Damn they can get so fluffy at points.

Please give me one last review. My dream is to got this story over 100 reviews. I don't think it's possible, but a girl can dream right? Right?

See you all around~! (I'm working on a new story that's quite different from this one. Very Noir so far... it'll be in the StarTrek2009 catergory since it fits that setting betterif your interested.)

- GinTsuki


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